A journalist received a call from a courier service stating that her Aadhaar number was associated with a parcel containing drugs. This led to an hours-long nightmare in which she felt as though she was being held digitally hostage by scammers.
This first-person account is by Richa Mishra, a Senior Assistant Editor, a sister channel. On Saturday, October 5, at 12:15 PM, she received a call from an unknown number, presenting a recorded message from FedEx. Surprised by the mention of a courier, she pressed 1, thinking it might be about an office parcel or an Amazon order. This decision marked the beginning of a distressing ordeal that led to hours of fear and confusion, despite her knowledge of cyber fraud.
A journalist received a call from a courier company claiming her Aadhaar number was linked to a parcel containing drugs. Initially thinking it was a scam, she pressed a number, leading to a series of frightening conversations where she felt digitally held hostage. The call escalated as she was transferred to someone posing as a police officer, accusing her of drug trafficking and money laundering, ultimately leading to fake arrest papers being issued in her name. The experience left her feeling terrified and trapped.
I underwent a similar interrogation, where I was accused of serious financial manipulations linked to my Bank of Baroda account. Despite my tears, the accusations continued relentlessly, each accompanied by fabricated evidence. The gravity of the charges left me feeling utterly helpless.
The tone of the call shifted, suggesting I had a chance to defend myself. They mentioned that if I cooperated with the police, the investigation would last seven days. They implied my Aadhaar had been misused, possibly after sharing it in a cafe, and warned that my family was in danger. They claimed the scammers had information about my home and office. If I revealed any details about the investigation, I risked two years in jail; if the drug case was confirmed, I could face 15 years in prison.
The mental torment of the scam left me feeling like a criminal, with a caller portraying himself as a police officer. They manipulated my fear, leading me to believe I was involved in serious crimes like drug smuggling and money laundering. Despite knowing about such scams, I became ensnared in their web of deceit. After reaching out to family and authorities, I learned it was all a scam. FedEx issued a warning, advising people not to share personal information and to report suspicious calls to the police.
