Fake Police Notice PDF Scam Explained — How to Verify and Report (2026)

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.

• How the digital-arrest scam runs
• Five red flags in the PDF
• How a real summons is served — BNSS 2024 §63 / §65
• Verify in 5 minutes
• 30-minute drill if you already engaged
• Report the fake notice
• What not to do
• Sample report letter
• Can compensation be claimed?
• FAQ

1. Hook — Email / WhatsApp PDF: “FIR No. 12345/2026 — Cybercrime Branch Mumbai — Money laundering investigation against your Aadhaar.” Logos of CBI, RBI, DRI, “Cyber Police,” sometimes a fake Supreme Court watermark.
2. Authority transfer — Phone number in the PDF leads to a “Sub-Inspector” who video-calls you on Skype / WhatsApp wearing a police-style uniform in front of a fake station backdrop.
3. Confine — You are told you are under “digital arrest” and must stay on video, alone, until “verification” completes. The session can run 6–48 hours.
4. Drain — You are pressured to “transfer funds for verification” / “open RTGS for refund.” The money goes to mule accounts and is layered through crypto exchanges.

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.

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:

1. Bank refund — RBI Master Direction 2017. Reported within 3 working days, you can recover the full amount.
2. Insurance — Some cyber-insurance policies cover digital-arrest fraud. Check policy terms; require FIR + 1930 reference.
3. Consumer court — If your bank's negligence (no fraud-monitoring alert despite an unusual large transfer) is established.

The recovery rate is highest within the first 90 minutes after the transfer.

1. 0–5 min — Disconnect; verify station number from the official state police website
2. 5–15 min — Call station; confirm forgery
3. 15–25 min — File at cybercrime.gov.in; call 1930 if money moved
4. 25–30 min — Forward to PIB Fact Check + Sanchar Saathi Chakshu
5. +24 h — File written FIR at local station; submit to cyber cell
6. +72 h — RBI bank dispute window for any debit

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• Q: Is a police notice on WhatsApp ever genuine?
  No. Indian law requires physical service of summons. WhatsApp / email / SMS notices are scam openers.
• Q: What is “digital arrest”?
  A scam pretext. There is no provision for “digital arrest” in BNS 2024, BNSS 2024, IT Act, or any Indian statute. MHA and RBI have publicly stated this.
• Q: Can CBI / NIA / RBI summon me by email?
  Investigative agencies summon under BNSS 2024 §94 / §95 (production / search) — physically, not by email. RBI has no power to summon individuals at all.
• Q: Should I respond to the email saying “this is fake”?
  No. Don't engage. Forward to PIB and cybercrime.gov.in instead.
• Q: Can I be tracked because they have my number / address?
  The harm is the financial scam, not surveillance. Block the number and move on. Genuine police investigation, if ever needed, would come through the proper BNSS process.

“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

• Block lost / stolen SIM
• Fake court summons WhatsApp scam
• Fake KYC update scam
• UPI fraud recovery
• Social media hijack recovery
• Arrest, FIR & notice — your rights
• Deepfake blackmail recovery

• MHA — Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C): cybercrime.gov.in · 1930
• PIB Fact Check: factcheck.pib.gov.in · WhatsApp +91-8799711259
• DoT — Sanchar Saathi → Chakshu
• State police citizen portals for FIR verification
• BNSS 2024 — §63, §64, §65, §66 (service of summons), §94, §95 (production / search)
• BNS 2024 — §319 (cheating), §336–§338 (forgery, forged electronic record, using forged document)
• IT Act 2000 — §66D (impersonation by communication device), §66C (identity theft)
• RBI Press Release on “digital arrest” awareness

++++ 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. ++++

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.