Month: February 2026

Scam nation: Abhik Deb & Nandkumar Saravade

On a yellow background, across the centre of the page, the headline: Scam nation Below that, in smaller type, the subhead: Digital scams and cybercrime in India: 8th February Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. IST, online.

Many Indians have now got that call from the CBI, the ED, customs officials, or the police, informing them that they have now been placed under digital arrest on some pretext or another. Or, still, in some parts of the country, they get calls informing them that they won some lottery that they never applied for.

Why exactly does India seem to be hit with a bewildering array of digital scams, some of them using quite sophisticated software and social engineering; and some with a laughably simple plot that your grandmother should see through, but didn’t?

Our next TGP Sessions on February 8 hopes to grapple with some of these questions.

To sign up for the session, simply accept this invitation to add it to your calendar. We will update that page with the final meeting link closer to Sunday.

(Also, a reminder that we now have a WhatsApp community where you can get updates on our activities as well as chat with other TGPians. You can join it here.)

Meet our presenters. One has been reporting up and down the country on the digital arrest phenomenon, including, quite bizarrely, when his father fell victim to one. Our other speaker is an ex-IPS officer, who has some pointers for law enforcement officials on how to deal with the ever-evolving digital scamming industry.

On a neon pink background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Science & Technology Below, the headline: Unwarranted arrest Below, a subhead: How cybercriminals impersonate cops and steal your money Next, the session date: 8 February Next, a circular window with a portrait of the presenter, in black-and-white. Next to that, the presenter’s name: Abhik Deb And below that, a descriptor: Journalist Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. IST, online.

Abhik has been a digital journalist for almost a decade. He is currently a chief sub-editor with Collective Newsroom, the sole content provider for the BBC’s Indian language services. Previously he has worked for Times of India, The Quint, NDTV and Scroll. During his stint with Scroll, while working on a story on the digital arrest scam, his father became a victim of the same and lost ₹10 lakh. 

On a neon blue background, a faint wave pattern runs down the right side. On top, in a yellow rectangle: Science & Technology Below, the headline: Cybercrime and punishment Below, a subhead: Ten hot tips for law enforcement Next, the session date: 8 February Next, a circular window with a portrait of the presenter, in black-and-white. Next to that, the presenter’s name: Nandkumar Saravade And below that, a descriptor: Founder/CEO/Advisor/Mentor/ex-IPS Below, at centre, the logotype for The Goa Project Sessions, which has the words ‘The Goa Project’ in white text next to a stylised sunset-and-water image, and next to that, the word ‘Sessions’ within a stylised video camera image. In a black strip at the bottom: Once every four weeks on Sundays, 5:30 p.m. IST, online.

Nandkumar is a senior strategy advisor and seasoned board member with nearly four decades of experience across law enforcement, banking, cyber security, and technology governance. A former IPS officer, he has held leadership roles across government, regulators, and industry. He was the founding CEO of ReBIT, RBI’s cyber security and technology arm, where he built and scaled a high-impact institution. Currently, he serves on multiple boards, including financial services and fintech entities, and advises key regulatory committees. Widely regarded as a “knowledge-seeker with action bias,” he is a frequent speaker and thought leader on risk, technology, and governance.