Lucknow Police has proposed an idea for the implementation of anti-digital arrest scam measures in view of the rising number of such cases across the state and the country.
In a letter addressed to the U.P. Director General of Police (DGP), Principal Secretary, Home and other law enforcement agencies, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Law and Order Lucknow Police Commissionerate, Vineet Singh on October 14 proposed a collaboration with WhatsApp to combat the rising threat of digital arrest scams.
“Our primary solution is the development and deployment of “112Bot,” a verified WhatsApp bot operated by U.P. Police. This bot will enable users to silently add it to suspicious conversations with explicit permission, allowing real-time monitoring and intervention without compromising end-to-end encryption,” told Mr. Singh, to The Hindu.
What is ‘digital arrest scam’ and how can you protect yourself?
“This proposal draws inspiration from Singapore’s ScamShield Bot, an anti-scam WhatsApp tool that detects spoofed government communications and provides alerts,” added Mr. Singh. Additional features include one-tap sharing of screenshots, caller numbers, and details for rapid police response, modeled after Bengaluru Police’s successful WhatsApp emergency system.
