Man flips the script on scammer, tricks him into paying $100 before calling the cops on him

Money has tricked scores of scandalous minds into thinking they need to throw dust in people’s eyes to acquire it. These criminals are now resorting to the digital medium to swindle people. In a deceptive strategy called “digital arrest,” some cyber fraudsters impersonate law officials to siphon money from victims who may not know how law enforcement operates, per Deccan Herald. One alarming case of this “digital arrest scam” recently came to the spotlight in the Indian city of Kanpur. Bhupendra Singh, a television journalist, received a call that his instincts told him was fishy. Instead of getting frightened or giving in to the scammer’s demands, Singh used his quick-thinking ability to turn the tables on him. “A scammer ended up getting scammed,” described Brut India (@brutindia) on X. 

The incident unfolded on March 6, 2025, according to the Indian news website Times of India (TOI). Singh was engaged in doing some preparations for his wedding anniversary when he received this unsettling call. Pretending to be a CBI officer, the caller threatened him by claiming that there were some compromising videos of Singh. The fraudster even sent him 48 morphed photos and 32 videos via WhatsApp, as well as a legal document, which, he said, was filed against Singh. Despite the panicking situation, Singh was wise enough to tune into his intellect and instinct. Instead of getting scared, he turned to Google Lens to check the document's authenticity. As he had anticipated, the document proved to be fake. "They claimed to be CBI officers, but CBI doesn't handle such cases - regional police teams do. Secondly, the document they sent claiming to be a case copy wasn't genuine. When I put it through Google Lens, it clearly showed it was a fake document,” Singh told the outlet. As the caller’s true identity was revealed, Singh utilized his journalist brain to churn out a whip-smart strategy to give the scammer his due reward.

At first, he pretended that he was indeed terrorized. His pleas and requests fueled the scammer’s delusion. The scammer claimed it would cost Singh ₹16,000 ($185) to get himself out of this tight spot. Meanwhile, Singh had already spun a clever web of realistic stories to fool the fraudster. Firstly, he told the scammer about a stolen gold chain worth ₹40,000 ($464) that he had recently pawned to a friendly jeweler. Singh told him he could get back the chain for just ₹3,000 ($35). He pretended to be a student with little finances and even sent him a picture of a gold chain. The scammer instantly transferred ₹3,000 ($35) to Singh’s account via UPI payment after hearing Singh’s story.

Three days later, the scammer called him again and asked for the gold chain. This time, Singh reiterated another false tale about how the jeweler was refusing to part with the gold chain unless he gave him an additional ₹5,000 ($58). He even pretended to be crying over the phone, which convinced the fraudster. He transferred another ₹4,480 ($52). By this time, Singh was having fun as he played along, conning the con. He then spun a third tale, telling the scammer he had retrieved the gold chain and was now selling it to a firm that would offer him a gold loan worth ₹110,000 ($1276).

He even received a make-believe receipt that he had acquired with the help of a friend who worked at a company that provided such services. Not realizing that his threat of doxing was backfiring, the scammer greedily asked Singh to proceed with the loan. He transferred another ₹3,000 ($35), bringing the total to ₹10,980 ($127), so Singh could sign up for the loan. Meanwhile, the quick-witted Singh reported the entire incident to the cyber police. On the other side, the scammer started to become alarmed as Singh disconnected his calls. This incident is just one of many cyber fraud cases of “digital arrest” unfolding in India, keeping the public and the police on tenterhooks. According to Brut India, these cases have been gaining attention primarily since 2023. 

People in the comments appreciate what Singh did with the scammer. "This man should be hired by the government to train other officers and citizens on how not to get scammed. Indians are losing crores of money daily to these scammers. To scam the scammer is a special skill and his skills should be utilized by the government," said @khaomaakekasam. "Can the scammer file a case and recover this money from him? Or can authorities suo moto charge him as he has admitted that he has scammed a person and confiscate the amount?" joked @ShravanSuratwla.