On 9 February 2026, a 71-year-old retired bank manager in Lucknow received a 6-page PDF on WhatsApp showing a Mumbai Police logo, an “FIR No. 0078/2026”, a ₹4.8 crore money-laundering allegation, and a 2-hour “digital arrest” deadline. The PDF carried a real-looking dispatch number, a real-looking signature, and a real-looking QR code. By the end of the day, ₹68 lakh had moved to a “RBI verification escrow”. This is the template the digital-arrest scam has used to steal ₹2,140 crore from Indian citizens in 2025 alone (I4C / MHA Annual Report 2025-26 data). The good news: a real police notice in India looks nothing like that PDF, and the differences are visible to a citizen in under 90 seconds — if you know what to look at. This guide is the full BNSS 2023 check-list for telling a real notice from a fake.
Quick answer (90 seconds) — A real police notice in India is a printed paper under BNSS §35 (arrest), §91 (production of person), §94 (production of document), §175(3) (magistrate-directed investigation), or §179 (witness attendance), bearing a dispatch number, FIR number, the issuing officer's name + rank + service ID, and delivered to your address by a uniformed officer or by post. A “PDF on WhatsApp” with a “digital arrest” demand is always fake — Indian police never serve notices on WhatsApp.
A real police notice in India in 2026 is a paper document printed on the letterhead of the issuing police station or unit. It carries (a) the police-station seal + crest, (b) a dispatch number in the format e.g. DD-MM-YYYY/PS-NAME/Outward-No, © the FIR number or General Diary (GD) number under which the proceeding originates, (d) the issuing officer's name, rank, and IPC/IUC service number, and (e) a clear citation of the BNSS 2023 section under which it is issued.
A real notice is delivered to your registered address through one of these channels:
The legal foundation is BNSS 2023 §66 to §71 (service of summons) read with the specific section under which the notice is issued — §35, §91, §94, §175(3), §179.
A fake police notice in 2026 is almost always a PDF on WhatsApp or Telegram, dispatched from a foreign-number or unknown-handle to a person who has never had any interaction with the issuing police agency. The PDF looks polished — letterhead, crest, signature, QR code — but every element is fabricated using a stock template plus a real PDF editor (Foxit / Nitro / Adobe).
The dominant pattern: the digital-arrest scam. A “Mumbai Police” or “CBI” or “Cyber Crime Branch” PDF says:
There is no such thing as digital arrest, RBI verification escrow, or audit clearance. The Reserve Bank of India does not operate escrow accounts for police clearance. The Indian Penal Code (now Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, BNS 2024) does not mention “digital house arrest”. The Constitution of India, Article 22, requires that an arrested person be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours — there is no constitutional pathway for “arrest” by video call.
| Element | Real BNSS notice | Fake “digital arrest” PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Medium | Paper on letterhead, hand-delivered or by post | PDF on WhatsApp / Telegram / email |
| Statute cited | BNSS 2023 §35, §91, §94, §175(3), §179 | Mixed-up: “IPC §420 + IT Act §66 + Aadhaar Act” |
| Dispatch / outward number | Real, sequential, traceable at the PS | Random or absent; cannot be traced |
| FIR / GD reference | Specific PS + FIR No./Year + sections | Generic “FIR No. 0078/2026” without PS name |
| Issuing officer | Name + rank + service ID + signature + seal | Generic “Inspector Rakesh Kumar” + downloaded signature image |
| Time given to respond | 7 to 15 days (BNSS §35(3)) — never minutes | 1 to 4 hours — “or face arrest” |
| Mode of arrest | Physical, by a uniformed officer, recorded in PS register | “Digital arrest” by video call — does not exist in law |
| Financial demand | None — police notices do not demand payment | “Audit fee”, “verification escrow”, “bond” to UPI / a/c number |
| Verification path | Walk into the PS, call PS landline, check on state police portal | No verification path; aggressive video-call pressure |
| Mode of reply | In-person at PS or written reply by RPAD | “Reply only via this WhatsApp number” |
If the police want to investigate a person without arresting them, they issue a notice under BNSS §35(3) asking the person to appear at the police station at a stated time. The notice carries the FIR number, the sections, and the officer's name. Time given is normally 7-15 days, never 1-4 hours. Failure to appear can lead to arrest, but only after the §35 notice is properly served.
Reference: Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar (2014) 8 SCC 273 — Supreme Court mandated §41A CrPC (now §35 BNSS) notices for offences carrying ≤7 years' sentence.
A police officer or court can direct any person to produce a document or thing under BNSS §94. The notice describes the document, the case, and the date+time+location for production. The witness/holder is not an accused; the notice does not threaten arrest.
When a magistrate, on a private complaint, directs the police to investigate a cognizable offence, the police issue a notice based on the magistrate's order. The order copy is annexed.
To examine a witness during investigation, the police issue a notice under BNSS §179. Critical safeguard under §179 proviso: a woman, person under 15, person above 60, person with intellectual or physical disability, or person with acute illness shall not be required to attend at any place other than the place where they reside. Examination must happen at the witness's home or via video link as the SC clarified in State of Maharashtra v. Mahesh Kariman Tirki (2021).
Citizens conflate real and fake notices because:
The key conceptual anchor: a real notice is a paper that someone hands you or a post packet you sign for. A fake notice is a file that pops up on your phone screen.
Indian police do not dispatch summons or §35 notices on WhatsApp. There is no enabling provision under BNSS 2023 for WhatsApp service. Period.
The Indian Penal Code 1860 was replaced by Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2024 (BNS) with effect from 1 July 2024. The CrPC 1973 was replaced by Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 (BNSS). A 2026 notice citing “IPC §420” or “CrPC §91” is using outdated bare-act language — a real police officer in 2026 cites BNS §318 (cheating) and BNSS §94 (production of document).
Real police notices never demand money. There is no such category as a “verification fee”, “escrow audit fee”, “case-clearance bond”, or “RBI escrow”. Any rupee demand within a “police notice” is fraud.
Indian criminal procedure has no concept of “digital arrest”. Article 22 of the Constitution requires the arrested person to be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours; “video interrogation while you sit at home” is a fabricated procedure.
Scam PDFs almost always come from +84, +66, +880, +60, +62, +91-7/+91-8 throwaway numbers. A real police PS uses its registered landline (visible on the state police website) or a verified WhatsApp-Business account only if you have opted into the state police citizen portal.
Open the PDF in any viewer → Properties or Document Properties. A real notice's metadata shows the police station's MIS software (e.g., CCTNS — Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems) as creator. A fake notice's metadata shows Microsoft Word 2016, Foxit PDF Editor, Adobe Acrobat Pro DC with an edit date of yesterday.
Every state's police website carries a directory of officers with name, rank, posting, and contact. Mumbai Police: mumbaipolice.gov.in. Delhi Police: delhipolice.gov.in. If the name + rank + station combination on the notice does not match the directory, it is fake.
A real police notice with a QR code (some states are piloting this in 2026) leads to the CCTNS case-status page for the FIR. A fake PDF's QR code leads to a UPI VPA or a fake login form.
Tip — Take a photo of the PDF cover with your other phone, walk into the nearest police station (any station, not necessarily the one named in the notice), show it at the front desk, and ask for verification. Front-desk officers will verify in two minutes by calling the issuing PS. This is free, fast, and the safest path.
Paper notice handed to you / received by post → likely real, proceed to step 2. PDF on WhatsApp, Telegram, email, SMS → assume fake unless and until step 5 confirms otherwise.
Any phrase containing “verification fee”, “escrow audit”, “RBI clearance bond”, “case-closure deposit”, “advance bail bond” — fake. Real notices contain zero money demands.
Open the state police website's officer directory. Match name + rank + posted-station. Phone the PS landline (NOT the number on the notice). Ask: “Has notice number [DISPATCH NO] been issued from your station to [YOUR NAME, PAN ending XXXX]?”
Bring the PDF / paper notice + your Aadhaar + a photocopy. Show it at the duty officer's desk. They will telephonically verify with the issuing PS via the CCTNS network. Carry your phone unlocked to share the original WhatsApp message if it is a PDF case.
For the scam itself — impersonation of a public servant is BNS §204 (was IPC §170), pretending to be authorised to do an act is BNS §319 (was §419), with cheating (§318) and forgery (§336+§340) added when a fake PDF is involved.
Lucknow digital-arrest scam — February 2026
What made the scam work: the victim had no reference point for what a real BNSS notice looks like. Two minutes at any police station front desk would have ended it before any money moved.
If a real notice arrives at your address, this is the format of a written response (you should also consult a lawyer). Do not use this for a fake PDF — the fake gets a NCRP filing, not a reply.
To,
The Station House Officer,
[POLICE STATION NAME]
[ADDRESS, CITY, PIN]
Date: [DD-MM-YYYY]
Sub: Response to Notice under §35(3) BNSS 2023
dated [DD-MM-YYYY], FIR No. [XXX/YYYY], dispatch No. [XXXX/PS-XYZ/YYYY]
Sir/Madam,
I, [FULL NAME], son/daughter/spouse of [FATHER/SPOUSE NAME], aged
[YY] years, resident of [FULL ADDRESS], PAN [XXXXX1234X], Aadhaar
masked XXXX-XXXX-[last 4], acknowledge receipt of the above-mentioned
notice on [DD-MM-YYYY] at [TIME] through [hand delivery /
registered post AD No. XXXXX].
1. I will attend [POLICE STATION] on [DATE, TIME] as required,
accompanied by my advocate Shri/Smt [NAME] (Bar Council Enrolment
No. [XX/YYYY]).
2. I respectfully invoke the safeguards laid down by the Supreme
Court in //Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar// (2014) 8 SCC 273
and //D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal// (1997) 1 SCC 416,
in particular the requirement of recording reasons for any arrest
under BNSS 2023 §35(1)(b)(ii).
3. I am willing to co-operate with the investigation and will produce
documents/material as may be specifically called for under
BNSS §94.
4. I request that the examination be recorded by audio-video
electronic means under BNSS §183(6), and that a copy of the
statement be furnished to me.
5. As a [woman / senior citizen above 60 / person with disability /
person with acute illness] within the proviso to BNSS §179,
I request that any further examination be conducted at my
residence or via video link.
Place: [CITY]
Yours faithfully,
[SIGNATURE]
[NAME]
Mobile: +91-XXXX-XXXXXX
Email: [EMAIL]
Cc: Advocate [NAME], [Bar Council No.]
Cc: District Legal Services Authority, [DISTRICT]
No. There is no provision in BNSS 2023, the Constitution of India Article 22, or any state police law that permits arrest by video call. Every arrest must be (a) physical, (b) recorded in the PS arrest register, © intimated to a relative under D.K. Basu, and (d) followed by production before a magistrate within 24 hours. “Digital arrest” is purely a scam template.
No. BNSS §66 to §71 prescribes the mode of service of summons — through a police officer or court officer to the person named, by hand against signature, by leaving with an adult family member, by affixing at the residence, or by registered post with AD. There is no provision for WhatsApp service of a police notice. A few High Courts have allowed WhatsApp service for civil summons in narrow contexts after physical service has failed and only on a court order — that is not the same as a police PS sending a PDF.
Demand his ID card + service number + PS landline number + a written notice under BNSS §35 / §94. Do not respond to verbal demands. Record the conversation (one-party consent recording is lawful in India per R.M. Malkani v. State of Maharashtra (1973) 1 SCC 471). If he refuses, walk to the nearest PS, show your call log, and complain to the SHO.
CBI, ED, NIA, and other central agencies use paper summons issued under their respective acts (DSPE Act 1946 §6 + BNSS §35, PMLA §50, NIA Act §43A) dispatched by post / hand to your registered address. They do not message you on WhatsApp, do not demand money for “case clearance”, and do not threaten “digital arrest”. A real CBI/ED summons carries the unit's name, the IO's name and rank, an outward number, and a date+time+room+address.
You may take a lawyer of your choice under BNSS §38 (right to consult an advocate during interrogation), and §41D CrPC rights survive into the BNSS framework. The Supreme Court in Senior Intelligence Officer, DRI v. Jugal Kishore Samra (2011) 12 SCC 362 recognised the lawyer's right to remain visible but out of audible range. Carry your Aadhaar, PAN, and any documents specifically asked for in the notice — nothing more.
Possibly. The RBI Master Direction on Limited Liability dated 6 July 2017 + I4C's NCRP-1930 pipeline can freeze funds at the receiving bank within the “golden hour” (first 60 minutes is best; up to 24-48 hours is workable). Frozen funds are released under a magistrate's order within 60-90 days. In 2024, the I4C network recovered ~₹2,400 crore out of ~₹11,000 crore reported losses — a ~22% recovery rate (I4C / MHA Annual Report 2024-25).
Yes — but the chain breaks if you delete. The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 §63 (the new IT Act §65B) certificate requires the original device-level electronic record. Do not delete the chat, do not factory-reset the phone, do not change the SIM until the cyber-cell takes a certified extract.
Yes. BNSS §94 allows the police to require any person in whose possession a document or thing is, to produce it. If your salary records, bank statements, or device-image are held by your employer, a §94 notice can be served on the employer. The employer must produce, subject to privilege under Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam §126-§129 (was IEA §126).
The Supreme Court in Selvi v. State of Karnataka (2010) 7 SCC 263 held that compulsory narco/polygraph/brain-mapping violates Article 20(3). Various High Courts (Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala) have applied the same principle to compelled biometric unlock of phones — a contested area. Position: refuse compelled unlock, demand a magistrate's order under BNSS §94 read with the Supreme Court's privilege jurisprudence, and consult a lawyer.
Yes. One-party consent recording is lawful in India per R.M. Malkani v. State of Maharashtra (1973). Recording an interaction with a public servant in the course of public duty is also protected as part of freedom of expression under Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020) 3 SCC 637. Inform the officer that you are recording for the record; do not record in a way that obstructs the duty.
| Myth | Reality |
|---|---|
| “Police can arrest me through a Skype call.” | No such procedure exists in BNSS 2023 or under Article 22 of the Constitution. |
| “A real police notice can come on WhatsApp.” | BNSS §66-71 lists modes of service; WhatsApp is not one of them for police notices. |
| “Real notices use 'IPC §420' and 'CrPC §91'.” | After 1 July 2024, real notices cite BNS and BNSS sections, not IPC/CrPC. |
| “If I don't pay the 'verification fee', I will be arrested.” | No category of “verification fee” exists in Indian criminal procedure. |
| “An RBI officer can ask me to move money to an 'escrow'.” | RBI does not operate escrow accounts for police-clearance; that phrase is the scam. |
| “Senior citizens have to attend the PS on demand.” | BNSS §179 proviso protects 60+ — examination must happen at residence or via video. |
A real police notice is a paper that comes to your home. A fake police notice is a PDF that comes to your phone. Three minutes at any police-station front desk closes any doubt for free. If the document is a fake, the NCRP–1930–RBI golden-hour pipeline is the operational rescue. If the document is real, the BNSS §35 reply template above is the right next step. The single biggest win in 2026 is for every adult Indian — especially seniors — to internalise one rule: Indian police do not arrest, summon, fine, or threaten on WhatsApp.
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