‘Pookie scammer’: Indian man trolls fake cop, puts puppy on video call to outsmart scammer | Trending

As digital arrest scams are on the rise, a man decided to pull a prank on one such scammer who posed as a cop. The cybercriminal trying to impersonate a policeman was met with a surprise when his video call was picked up a puppy. In a post on Instagram, a user shared a clip of a man answering a video call from a man dressed as a police officer. The video began with the “police officer” declaring that he was calling from Andheri East police station in Mumbai. (Instagram/shinny_martina) The video began with the “police officer” declaring that he was calling from Andheri East police station in Mumbai. The fake officer then asks the man to show his face to the camera. The man picks up his small puppy and puts him in front of the camera. “Yeh lijiye, sir. Aagya main camera ke saamne,” he says, while holding the puppy closer to the camera. After a few moments, the scammer realises that he is being pranked and flashes a smile before picking up his phone and facing it away from himself. “Arey yeh raha main. Arey, thanedaar. Dikhraha hai? Arey nakli vardi,” the man keeps going while laughing. The scammer soon turns off his camera and disconnects the call. Take a look at the video here: The video, which has been shared multiple accounts on Instagram, has left users in splits. “Scammer ke saath hi scam kardia,” said one user, while another wrote: “Indians are pretty talented when it comes to content.” Many users dubbed the hilarious interaction as “paw patrol”. “Pawlice hai woh police nahi,” said a user. Other said the prank was so adorable even the scammer could not hide his smile and dubbed him a “pookie scammer”. What are digital arrest scams?In a digital arrest scam, perpetrators impersonate law enforcement officials, such as CBI agents, income tax officers, or customs agents, and contact victims via phone. They then persuade the victims to switch to video calls on platforms like WhatsApp or Skype. During the call, the scammers claim to have a digital arrest warrant, accusing the victim of financial misconduct, tax evasion, or other legal violations. (Also read: Scammer pretending to be a police officer left shocked when real cop answers his call: ‘Ye kaam chhod do bhai’) In some cases, they even create a fake police station backdrop to make the call appear legitimate. Pretending to help clear the victim’s name, ass with the investigation, or offer a refundable security deposit/escrow account, the fraudsters pressure the victim into transferring large sums of money to specific bank accounts or UPI IDs. Once the payment is made, the scammers disappear, leaving the victim with financial losses and the risk of identity theft.