YouTuber Ankush Bahuguna’s 40-Hour Digital Arrest: “Lost Money, Mental Health”

Lost Money, Mental Health: On Sunday, January 5, popular YouTuber and social media influencer Ankush Bahuguna revealing how he became a victim of a 40-hour digital arrest scam.

After a three-day absence from social media, Bahuguna described how scammers held him hostage, causing him financial loss and significant mental distress.

“I have been missing from social media and everywhere for the last three days, I was held hostage by some scammers for 40 hours.I have lost money, I have lost my mental health to this, I can’t believe this has happened to me,” Bahuguna said in an Instagram post.

The Mistakes he made

The nightmare began with a seemingly harmless automated call claiming that a package was being delivered to him. Intrigued, Mr Bahuguna pressed "zero" for support, unwittingly opening the door to a scheme that would alter his life. "The biggest mistake of my life," he said, recalling the moment he pressed the number.

Also Read: Raha Kapoor Steals the Spotlight in Shaheen Bhatt’s New Year Vacation Pics with Dad Ranbir Kapoor

The call led him to a supposed customer support representative, who told him that a package with illegal substances intended for China was linked to his name. The representative informed the influencer that an arrest warrant had already been issued for him and that he would be arrested imminently.

The content creator thought that someone was using his identity. Using this false narrative, the scammers told Bahuguna they would direct his call to the police. After the redirection, the call was converted into a WhatsApp call, which was a video call with some police officers, according to the video shared.

The police officers dressed in uniform claimed that there were a lot of fraud cases under Bahuguna's name. The officer also alleged that the content creator was involved in money laundering and drug trafficking, among other serious crimes.

During the call, the fake officer reportedly started interrogating the content creator about criminals he may know and even asked him about working on their behalf. They also claimed that Bahuguna had a bank account under which illegal activities were allegedly spotted, but the content creator denied having a bank account under the claims.

Also Read: Neeraj Chopra Opens Up About Injury Struggles After Losing to Arshad Nadeem at Paris Olympics

“I got scared, I said I hadn’t sent anything,” Bahuguna recalled, but the scammers continued to escalate the situation. They told him that his Aadhar number and other personal details were connected to the package, and he was now under digital arrest. “This is a very serious crime, and now you will be under digital arrest,” the scammers allegedly told him.

“I got scared, I said I hadn’t sent anything,” Bahuguna recalled, but the scammers continued to escalate the situation. They told him that his Aadhar number and other personal details were connected to the package, and he was now under digital arrest. “This is a very serious crime, and now you will be under digital arrest,” the scammers allegedly told him.

In response to those questioning how he fell for the scam, Ankush posted a follow-up comment: "Not everybody reacts the same way to panic. Instead of calling this stupid, make people around you aware of it."

He ended by urging viewers to stay vigilant and informed, stressing the importance of spreading awareness to prevent others from becoming victims of similar scams.

Also Read: GRAP 3 Measures Revoked in Delhi-NCR as AQI Improves: Restrictions Lifted