Woman Loses Rs 87,000 After Downloading Fake App To Get Lounge Access In Bengaluru Airport (Image:X/Jasonphilip8)
A woman named Bhargavi Mani fell victim to a cyber scam at Bengaluru‘s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) as she lost Rs 87,000 after downloading a fake app to access the airport lounge on Tuesday. Bhargavi arrived at the airport and saw a sign advertising free lounge access. She downloaded an app called “Airport Lounge” to avail of the offer and the app asked for her card details and OTP which she provided. Soon after, she received multiple transaction alerts totalling Rs 87,000 withdrawn from her bank account.
This scam occurred inside the Bengaluru International Airport, to a person using an IPhone, which I regard as scam-proof. Safeguard our hard-earned money, folks! pic.twitter.com/dOlEg5kGGt
— Dr Jaison Philip. M.S., MCh (@Jasonphilip8) October 22, 2024
The Scammer had created a fake app with a similar name to a legitimate lounge access service as the app’s logo and interface looked genuine making it difficult for Bhargavi to suspect anything. Since many scams have been happening around, cybercrime experts warn that such scams are common in such places. They said that scammers target travellers who are in a hurry or unfamiliar with airport procedures and that they create fake apps or websites that appear legitimate tricking victims into sharing sensitive information.
Also, read| ‘AI Voice Cloning Scam’: Man Shares How His Parents Almost Paid $30,000
However, several social media users have raised doubts about the authenticity of this story saying it may be fabricated or exaggerated. Some have pointed out inconsistencies in the narrative and lack of official confirmation from Bengaluru Airport authorities or police.
I find something fishy in how this story has been presented seems to implicate the lounge people. But from the WhatsApp screenshot, I believe the lounge people might have told her to download a valid lounge access app (lounge pass is a valid one) to either buy the access or get a…
— Shantanu Goel (@shantanugoel) October 22, 2024
I’ve used Bangalore lounge on several occasions, both domestic and international. Never once was I asked to download any such app.
— Avinash 🇮🇳 (@Ask_koppal) October 22, 2024
Also, read| Hong Kong Extortion: 59 Victims, Over HK$1.9 Million Lost in Naked Chat Scams
