How YouTuber Ankush Bahuguna, with 7 lakh followers, became a victim of a 40-hour digital arrest scam.
Synopsis
Ankush Bahuguna, a YouTuber, shared his 40-hour ordeal with a digital arrest scam. Scammers accused him of illegal activities, isolated him, and extracted personal information. A friend's intervention exposed the scam. He highlighted the need for awareness of such sophisticated scams. Many supported him and shared similar experiences, stressing the emotional impact of these incidents.
By ET Online
YouTuber Ankush Bahuguna recently revealed a distressing encounter with a digital arrest scam that left him mentally and financially shaken. After being absent from social media for three days, he shared how scammers manipulated him into a 40-hour ordeal of psychological pressure and financial threats. The incident underscores the growing threat of sophisticated online scams and the importance of public awareness.
To intensify the deception, the scammers connected him to a WhatsApp video call with someone posing as a police officer. They isolated him by instructing him to disconnect from all external communication and stay on continuous video calls. Using psychological manipulation, they placed him under "self-custody" and extracted personal information while directing him to perform suspicious banking transactions. Fortunately, a failed bank visit and a timely intervention from a friend raised suspicions and revealed the scam.
Bahuguna shared his experience to raise awareness about the psychological toll such scams can take and to encourage vigilance. He stressed the importance of educating others about these schemes and the varying ways individuals may react under pressure. This incident highlights the sophisticated tactics employed by scammers, including creating a sense of urgency and fear to manipulate their victims.
Fellow YouTuber Dolly Singh expressed her concern, highlighting how sharing such experiences is vital to spreading awareness and helping others avoid similar traps. Another commenter shared their own traumatic encounter with a similar scam, explaining how they reported it to the police and blocked the scammers. Others recounted their experiences with comparable schemes, describing how convincing the perpetrators can be and the emotional toll such incidents take.
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The ordeal began with an automated international call number (+1 prefix) calling and claiming that a courier delivery had been cancelled. Responding to the prompt connected Bahuguna to an individual who accused him of being involved in illegal activities. The scammers alleged that his personal details, including his Aadhaar number, were linked to a package containing contraband seized by customs. Despite his denials, they escalated the accusations, declaring him a prime suspect in a national case involving money laundering and drug trafficking, and claimed there was an active arrest warrant against him.To intensify the deception, the scammers connected him to a WhatsApp video call with someone posing as a police officer. They isolated him by instructing him to disconnect from all external communication and stay on continuous video calls. Using psychological manipulation, they placed him under "self-custody" and extracted personal information while directing him to perform suspicious banking transactions. Fortunately, a failed bank visit and a timely intervention from a friend raised suspicions and revealed the scam.
Bahuguna shared his experience to raise awareness about the psychological toll such scams can take and to encourage vigilance. He stressed the importance of educating others about these schemes and the varying ways individuals may react under pressure. This incident highlights the sophisticated tactics employed by scammers, including creating a sense of urgency and fear to manipulate their victims.
Internet reacted
Several individuals responded to Ankush Bahuguna's account of the digital arrest scam with messages of empathy and support. Many acknowledged the sophistication of such scams, emphasizing that even smart individuals can fall victim due to the scammers' meticulous planning and psychological tactics.Fellow YouTuber Dolly Singh expressed her concern, highlighting how sharing such experiences is vital to spreading awareness and helping others avoid similar traps. Another commenter shared their own traumatic encounter with a similar scam, explaining how they reported it to the police and blocked the scammers. Others recounted their experiences with comparable schemes, describing how convincing the perpetrators can be and the emotional toll such incidents take.
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