"The police have arrested your son" — this is a scam

This scam targets the elderly more than anyone. Scammers know that elderly parents lose their composure the second they hear something has happened to a child.

One day, my aunt's phone rang:

"Salaam alaikum. This is Inspector Tariq from Lahore Cantt police station. We have your son, Bilal. He hit a motorcyclist. There's an FIR. If you send ₨ 80,000 right now as a settlement, we'll release him. Otherwise he goes to jail."

She immediately called my uncle. My uncle said, "Bilal is sitting next to me, at home."

The scammer had pulled Bilal's name from Facebook. That was all.

How real Pakistani police work

One rule: Pakistani police do not ask for money over the phone.

If something has actually happened to your child:

• You will be asked to come to the police station — settlements do not happen by phone.
• Bail is processed through a court, not by JazzCash.
• You will be asked for proper paperwork — CNIC, proof of relationship.
• You have the right to speak with your child in person.

If the caller says "no" to any of this, they are a scammer.

How the scam works

The scammer scrapes the names of your family members from Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Then they call an elderly parent or relative and create panic. In a panic, no one verifies. The money goes.

The scammer does not need to meet your son. They only need you to lose composure.

One rule: always verify

Teach everyone in your house:

"Any emergency call about a family member — first, call that person yourself. Then do anything else."

And pick a family code word that only your household knows. In any emergency, ask for the word first.