The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday clarified that there is “no concept of digital or online arrest” under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), asserting that all arrests are conducted physically and in person.
The clarification comes after the agency flagged a surge in cybercrimes involving fake ‘digital arrests’, where fraudsters impersonate enforcement officials to extort money through online calls and messages.
“It is reiterated that arrests made by the ED are done after following due procedure and are done physically in person. There is no concept of digital arrest or online arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002,” the agency said.
The probe body said it had reissued the advisory after observing “multiple instances wherein certain unscrupulous persons (conman) have sent summons to individuals with the motive of cheating or extortion.”
According to the ED, fake summons often resemble genuine ones, making it difficult for recipients to identify forged communications. To address this, the agency has digitised the issuance of summons with additional safeguards.
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Under the new mechanism, every summons issued bears a QR code and a unique passcode for verification. These documents are generated only through the official system and must carry the signature, stamp, email ID, and phone number of the issuing officer.
The authenticity of such summons can be verified on the official ED website within 24 hours of issuance, excluding weekends and public holidays, the statement said.
The agency, which also enforces the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), clarified that the latter being a civil law contains no provisions for arrest.
For non-system-generated summons, individuals have been advised to verify authenticity by contacting Assistant Director Rahul Verma at the ED headquarters in New Delhi or through his official email and landline number provided by the agency.
The ED reiterated that genuine enforcement communications will always be verifiable through its official channels and cautioned citizens to remain vigilant against fraudulent attempts.
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