Popular YouTuber and social media influencer, Ankush Bahuguna recently shared his harrowing 40-hour ordeal as a victim of an elaborate digital scam. With advanced technology, digital scams are becoming even more difficult to detect, making even celebs and famous creators unfortunately fall prey to them. To raise awareness for the same, Ankush shared how the scammers led him to lose money and suffer mental distress.
On January 5, 2025, Ankush took to his Instagram handle to share his experience of facing scammers who manipulated him into believing he was under ‘digital arrest’. It all started with an automated call from an international number claiming that a courier delivery had been cancelled. Ankush was heard saying:
"Mujhe parso subah ek call aati hai, from a very weird number, +1 something… It seemed like an international number. I picked it up without thinking much. It was an automated call that said your ‘courier delivery’ had been cancelled. Press zero for support… I pressed zero… Biggest mistake of my life... I told them ki ‘Sir mereko ye call aaya’, he told me, ‘Sir, aapke package mein illegal saaman pakda gaya hai… customs ne aapka package pakad liya hai’... I got scared.’
The call escalated quickly as a supposed representative accused him of sending illegal substances to China. Ankush recounted that he was transferred to a WhatsApp video call with someone posing as a police officer. The scammers, equipped with his personal details, isolated him from his friends and family, forbidding him to reach out to anyone.
Ankush was held hostage in his own home, and continuously monitored via video call. Even when friends checked on him, he was forced to act normal, assuring them he was fine. The ordeal finally ended when a friend, suspecting foul play, intervened and made him realise it was all a scam.
Click here to watch the video.
In the video, Ankush looked visibly shaken and traumatised from the event. The influencer shared the video with a long message for his followers. His message to the video, which has since gone viral, read:
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“Sharing this so others don’t have to go through what I went through. I feel so lucky to have friends with such strong instincts who noticed a change in my behaviour even when they were getting “I’m okay” texts from me. They literally saved the day. Imagine if they hadn’t come looking for me or looked for clues! I’d probably still be in that cyber arrest & would’ve lost all my money. Pls beware of this scam. I know a lot of you are aware of it but I don’t think a lot of people understand the extent to which these scammers can go to control you! #cyberarrest #digitalarrest #scam #fraudalert”
Later, Ankush also responded to followers bashing him for falling prey to the scam. He explained how it’s quite possible for anyone to panic in such situations if they are not aware of such scams, as scammers are well-researched about their victims’ backgrounds.
What do you think of the ‘digital arrest’ of such a tech-savvy influencer like Ankush Bahuguna?
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