Digital scams in India are so rampant that many social media users are either victims or witnesses to this online fraud. These scams include phishing, identity theft, and also some of the most sophisticated ones, such as digital extortion and financial fraud. Recently, popular influencer Ankush Bahuguna was one of those who fell for the scam when he was kidnapped for almost 40 hours. In an Instagram video, Bahuguna narrated the incident that left him shocked as he was “hypnotised” into making a transaction and then isolated from family and friends for 40 hours through a non-stop video call. He claimed that he lost money as well as his mental health due to scams.
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What Happened
It all began with an automated call from an international number, claiming that the delivery of a package scheduled for him had been cancelled and further enticing the person to press “zero” for support. Bahuguna said he was curious and pressed “zero”, calling it “the greatest mistake of his life”. The call later connected him to somebody claiming to be a customer support representative, who told him a package was sent to China containing illegal substances linked to his name.
The representative then informed the influencer that an arrest warrant had already been issued against him. “I was not allowed to pick up calls. I was not allowed to message people or reply to their messages, let anybody in the house. They told me that if I tried to reach out to anyone, they would arrest me and harm the people I contacted,” he said in the video.
He was also asked to perform suspicious transactions. Throughout the ordeal, he was constantly informed that if he did not comply, his career would be ruined, and there would be dire consequences for his family and himself. “They took my bank details. They gathered so much personal information about my life,” he said. “They told me, ‘Your parents are in danger,’ and If you try to contact anyone, we will arrest you.”
Bahuguna had the pressure of sending his friends every screenshot of everything he did while pretending everything was fine when they started reaching out. He had to assure his friends as they came over to his place that everything was okay, and he was just busy. “People messaged me saying, is somebody holding you hostage? That’s not normal behaviour,” he recounted. The phone call ended when Bahuguna got a message from one of his friends regarding digital scams rising alarmingly.
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How to Safeguard Yourself from Cyber Arrests
Protection in terms of scams today would include vigilance and precautionary measures because of how sophisticated digital scams have become:
1. Be Wary of Incoming Calls
Do not interact with pre-recorded calls and do not click on buttons for “support.” Most of these calls employ tactics that instil urgency and panic within persons so that they are easily manipulated into giving personal details. If you ever get a call that raises a red flag, just hang up and stop engaging, then check if the call is real through official channels. Only then should further actions be taken.
2. Verify Credentials
A phone call comes claiming that the company is a legitimate organization. It is always wise to contact the authentic organization through official channels to ascertain whether it is real or fake. Scammers spoof Caller ID information and make it seem that they are calling from a trusted source. Always check the official contact number of the organization and reach out directly instead of any numbers given during the call. This extra effort can help to save a person from falling into the trap of impersonation scams.
3. Protecting Personal Details
Never disclose sensitive personal information such as bank account and password details over a phone call or online. Always be careful about providing information in response to unsolicited requests, as legitimate organizations are rarely that intrusive. For sensitive discussions with trusted contacts, use secure methods such as encrypted messaging applications.
4. Enable two-action authentication
Maintain more security features on your internet accounts. Two-factor authentication (2FA) uses a second kind of verification method aside from the password itself to greatly reduce the chances of illegal access. Could be through a text message number or through an alert from an application to add a vital barrier between would-be cybercriminals and the person’s resources online.
5. Stay Updated
Educating oneself on the various ways of coding can signal an early danger. Cybercriminals are regularly innovating their tactics, so one must get the latest information to be abreast of the current threats and how they operate. It should also on a regular basis check distinguished websites on computer security or rather join alerts from security organizations whose updates could be on new scams with prevention materials. This way, you are proactive against possible cyber threats and can remain alert and ready.
Read More: The Role of Cybersecurity in Mental Well-being
Psychological Strategies to Strengthen Resilience
Incidents of being taken for a ride endanger mental well-being, leading to feelings of fear, anxiety, or self-doubt. Here are strategies to psychologically protect your well-being against such incidents :
1. Recognize Manipulation
Scammers employ the tricks of anxiety and utter desperation to cloud reasonable judgment. Give a pause for some time, and it will help one deal with impulsive actions. Reflection on one’s state can usually lead one to clarity before falling into the doom assumptions of decaying emotional conditions. It would empower itself to engage such incidents critically by becoming familiar with the different manipulative techniques.
2. Build Digital Literacy
Knowing the tricks of scams can make them less intimidating, leaving victims stronger against their potential. Indeed, one learns about the types of scams, red flags, or signs of ways and means for lapping it all up. This knowledge not only sharpens a person’s skills at spotting threats but also nurtures a competitive feeling in manipulating the digital world. There could even be community workshops or online classes to help boost the skills and knowledge.
3. Seek Support
If you have been hit, speak out with friends you can trust and professionals to get your perspective back and reduce emotional distress. Talking over feelings will normalize the experience and empty out any feelings of shame or loneliness. In addition, either online or in local places, one may find valuable learning experiences for coping strategies from others who have faced the same struggles.
4. Practice Mindfulness
Deep breathing exercises and meditation help deal with tension and anxiety concerning the present happenings. The practice would be continuous perfection of mindfulness, which would provide insight into awareness of the thoughts and feelings and respond to what causes stress rather than jumping into automatic, gut responses. Mindfulness can be made a part of daily life to enhance emotional regulation and overall resilience to deal with adversity.
5. Concentration on Empowerment
Learning lessons from experience and taking precautions is the real restoration of control. A personal reflection about the learning that emerged from the ordeal bestows the opportunity to transform the negative experience into a chance for growth. Adding personal security-related goals increases your security online-brings back that agency and confidence in dealing with future risks.
Conclusion
The experience of Ankush Bahuguna is a potent reminder as to how complex social media scams have now become, and what psychological toll they can take on their victims. It must be remembered that knowledge, along with other technical and emotional protections, can save individuals and their loved ones from the grip of these chin-sore tongues.
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