A “Police Notice — appear within 24 hours or face arrest” PDF on email or WhatsApp is the most common opening shot of the digital-arrest scam. The notice is forged, the seal is photoshopped, and the phone number on it is routed to a call centre that will keep you on a Skype call until your bank account is empty. This page is the operational verification + report playbook so you stop the trap in five minutes.
Citizen Crisis Response Network — verification rule
A real police summons in India is served physically under BNSS 2024 §63 and §65, by a local officer, with a station seal and an attested signature. PDF on email / WhatsApp = scam by default.
A police notice that arrives on email, WhatsApp, or SMS — especially as a PDF claiming to be from CBI, Mumbai / Delhi Police, Cybercrime Cell, NIA, or “Customs” — is almost always a scam. Genuine summons under BNSS 2024 §63 are served physically by an officer of the local police station, in writing, in duplicate. Verify any digital notice by calling the official station landline (from the state police website, not the number on the PDF), and report the fake at cybercrime.gov.in / 1930. Never share screen, never pay, never panic.
The PIB Fact Check unit, MHA, and RBI have all confirmed: “digital arrest” is not a legal concept in Indian law. No agency arrests anyone over a video call.
| Red flag | What you'll see in the PDF | Why it's fake |
| 1. Email-only delivery | PDF arrives by Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, WhatsApp | BNSS 2024 §63 mandates physical service, in duplicate |
| 2. Pan-India agency stack | Lists CBI, RBI, NIA, Customs, IB together | Real notices come from one named station |
| 3. Foreign / hosted seal | High-DPI PNG of a generic “Govt of India” seal | Real seals carry the station number + state insignia |
| 4. Skype / WhatsApp video number |
I request registration of an FIR under BNS 2024 §319 (cheating), §336/§338 (forgery / forged electronic record), and IT Act §66D (impersonation by means of communication device). Please also flag to the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (Reference: __ at cybercrime.gov.in).
Yours faithfully, [Signature, Name, Date] [Phone, Email, Aadhaar last 4 digits] </code>
Yes — three paths, parallel:
The recovery rate is highest within the first 90 minutes after the transfer.
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“Is digital arrest real?” · “How to verify police notice in India?” · “Fake CBI notice on email what to do?” · “Mumbai police summons WhatsApp scam.” · “Real summons under BNSS.”
[Decision tree] "Police notice received"
Email/WhatsApp PDF? → SCAM → report at cybercrime.gov.in
Physical paper, signed, station seal? → Possibly genuine → call station from official site → confirm
[Comparison table] "Real summons (BNSS §63) vs Fake PDF"
Carrier : constable | email/WhatsApp
Station name : your local | distant city
Seal : embossed/inked | high-DPI image
Phone number : station landline | mobile / Skype
Deadline : reasonable date | 24 hours / now
Mode of reply : appear at station| video call
[Authority ladder] PIB Fact Check → Cyber Dost → cybercrime.gov.in
→ 1930 → Local FIR → State Cyber Cell
++++ Can a real police officer call me on Skype? | No. Indian police do not conduct proceedings, recording of statements, or “verification” on Skype, WhatsApp video, Zoom, or any video platform. All such calls are scams. ++++
++++ The PDF has my exact full address. How? | Public databases — voter rolls, Aadhaar leaks, EPF, scholarship portals, e-commerce orders. Address knowledge is not proof of authenticity. ++++
++++ I paid ₹2 lakh during a digital arrest. Will I get it back? | Recovery probability rises sharply if you reach 1930 within 90 minutes. Even outside that window, file the bank dispute, FIR, and ombudsman in parallel — multi-month recoveries are routine when paperwork is complete. ++++
++++ Can the scammer post my data online if I don't pay? | The threat is empty in 99% of cases — they have nothing additional. Doxxing requires data they don't actually possess. Do not pay to “buy back” alleged data. ++++
++++ Is forwarding the PDF to friends an offence? | Forwarding for awareness is fine; forwarding with the original sender's identity intact and any sensational claim can attract IT Act §66 / BNS 2024 §351 (criminal intimidation by anonymous communication) liability if amplified inappropriately. Redact, don't dramatise. ++++
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| “CBI sends emails.” | CBI sends notices through Investigating Officers, physically, under BNSS §63. |
| “PDF with seal = genuine.” | Seals are easily forged. Verification is by station landline call. |
| “If I don't reply, I'll be arrested.” | No agency arrests over an email. Real arrest follows due process under BNSS. |
| “Skype police is normal in India.” | Indian police never use Skype. Period. |
| “I can't recover what I paid.” | RBI 2017 framework + 1930 lien recover the bulk in most reported cases. |
A fake police PDF works because of two things: the fear of authority and the speed of the deadline. Both vanish the moment you call the station's published landline instead of the number printed in the forgery. Five minutes of verification stops the scam dead. Save your state's police website, save your local station's official number on a paper note, and never act on a deadline given by a stranger over a digital channel.
This page is part of RTI Wiki's Citizen Crisis Response Network. Updates tracked through MHA / I4C advisories, PIB Fact Check, and RBI press releases.