Blitz Bureau
PRIME Minister Narendra Modi warned the nation about ‘digital arrest’ scam, clarifying that no Government agency threatens individuals over the phone or demands money. Speaking in the 115th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat,’
PM Modi detailed the modus operandi of the ‘digital arrest’ scam and said investigative agencies are working in partnership with state governments to combat it. He also urged the countrymen to participate in the 150th birth anniversaries of Sardar Patel and Birsa Munda. The following are excerpts from Mann ki Baat episode broadcast on October 27:
In every era India has faced some challenges or the other and in every era extraordinary Indians were born who took on those challenges. In today’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I will discuss two such great heroes who had courage and farsightedness. The country has decided to celebrate their 150th birth anniversary. Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary year will begin from the 31st of October.
Following that, Bhagwan Birsa Munda’s 150th birth anniversary year will begin from the 15th of November. Both these great souls faced different challenges but their vision was the same, one that of ‘unity of the country’…Friends, although the Government has decided to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of these great personalities at the national level, it is your participation that will infuse life into this campaign, make it come alive. I would urge all of you to become a part of this campaign.
The gaming space of India is also expanding rapidly. These days, Indian games are also gaining popularity all over the world. When I met leading gamers of India a few months ago… I got an opportunity to know and understand the amazing creativity and quality of Indian games. Indeed, in the country, there’s a constant wave of creative energy… In the world of animation, ‘Made in India’ and ‘Made by Indians’ can be noticed everywhere. You will be happy to know that today India’s talent is also a significant part of foreign productions…I would like to tell the youth of India – expand your creativity. Who knows, the world’s next super hit animation might emerge out of your computer! The next viral game could be your creation! Your innovation in educational animations can achieve great success…
I want you to undertake at least one task. Share as many examples of India becoming self-reliant as possible and such efforts. What new innovation have you noticed in your neighbourhood? Which local start-up has impressed you the most? Along with hashtag Aatmanirbhar Innovation, write down this information on social media and celebrate Aatmanirbhar Bharat. In this festive season, we strengthen this campaign of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. We do our shopping with the mantra of Vocal for Local.
This is the new India where the Impossible is just a challenge… where Make in India has now turned into Make for the world, where every citizen is an innovator, where every challenge is an opportunity. We not only have to make India self-reliant, but also strengthen our country as a global powerhouse of innovation…. The fraudsters of digital arrest phone calls, at times, impersonate as Police, CBI, Narcotics; at times RBI… using such various labels, they converse as fake officers with a lot of confidence. Many listeners of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ have wished that we must discuss that…
You should be aware that no investigative agency never inquires like this through a phone call or a video call. I am enumerating the three steps to Digital Security. These three steps are – ‘Stop – Think – Take Action. As soon as you get a call, stop… – don’t panic, stay calm, don’t take any hasty steps, don’t give away your personal information to anyone; if possible take a screenshot and record it for sure.
After this comes the second step. The first step was ‘stop’ and the second step is ‘think’. No government agency threatens you on the phone like this, neither inquires nor demands money on a video call like this. If you feel scared, then know that something is wrong. The first step, the second step and now I spell out the third step. In the first step I said – ‘Stop’… in the second step I said – ‘Think’, and the third step tells you – ‘Take action’.
Dial the national cyber helpline 1930, Report on cybercrime.gov.in, inform family and police, preserve evidence. ‘Stop’, then ‘Think’, and then take ‘Action’, these three steps will become the protector of your digital security.
Friends, I’ll reiterate that there is no system like digital arrest in the law, this is just a fraud, deceit, it is a lie, a gang of criminals and those who are doing this are enemies of society. To deal with the fraud that is going on in the name of digital arrest, all the investigative agencies are working together with the state governments…
‘Wherever there is art, there is India’ ‘Wherever there is culture, there is India’ Today people across the world want to know India… want to know the people of India. Hence I have a request to make to all of you… to promote such cultural initiatives around you and share them with #CulturalBridges. We will discuss such examples in ‘Mann Ki Baat’, in future as well…
