Bengaluru Woman Victimized in Fake FedEx Scam Forced to Strip on Camera
In a chilling escalation of the infamous FedEx scam, a Bengaluru-based woman lawyer was coerced into stripping on camera by scamsters, marking a disturbing twist to the fraudulent scheme that has victimized countless individuals over the years.
Typically, perpetrators posing as FedEx employees employ a familiar tactic: contacting unsuspecting targets to inform them of a courier package intercepted with illicit substances, invoking fear by accusing them of involvement in criminal activities like money laundering or terrorism. The victim is then connected to a purported ‘police officer,’ who is, in reality, another scamster, and manipulated into divulging personal financial information under the guise of ‘verification.’
However, in this egregious instance, as reported by The Times of India, the scamsters subjected the Bengaluru woman to extreme coercion, extorting a staggering sum of Rs 15 lakh from her during a marathon 36-hour call. Allegedly, she was coerced into stripping on camera under false pretenses of a narcotics test, with the threat of releasing the compromising video on the dark web looming over her. The ordeal began on April 3, during which she was told that a parcel registered in her name was seized with MDMA.
Subsequently, she was instructed to download Skype and interact with an individual claiming to be a CBI officer, identified as Abhishek Chauhan, who fabricated allegations of human trafficking, money laundering, and identity theft against her. Forced to take an oath of silence and made to transfer funds to various accounts, the woman endured relentless psychological manipulation, culminating in the traumatic demand for her to disrobe on camera.
Threats against her family further intensified the coercion, with the scamsters demanding an additional Rs 10 lakh under the threat of releasing the compromising footage. Ultimately, the victim, overwhelmed by fear, sought recourse with law enforcement, highlighting the urgent need to combat such cybercriminal activities.
FedEx, in response, reiterated its policy of not soliciting personal information via unsolicited means and urged individuals to report suspicious communications to law enforcement or cybercrime authorities promptly.
This distressing incident underscores the pervasive threat posed by fraudulent scams and the imperative of vigilance and prompt action to safeguard against exploitation in an increasingly digital world.
Author:- Apoorva Arora