Bengaluru woman made to strip on camera in fake FedEx scam

A Bengaluru woman has fallen victim to the fake FedEx scam (Representational image)

A Bengaluru-based woman was made to strip on camera in a chilling new twist to the old FedEx scam. Over the last few years, the fake FedEx scam has claimed hundreds, if not thousands, of victims. The modus operandi of the scamsters so far has been simple – they call up an unsuspecting person to inform them that a courier package in their name has been caught with drugs or other illegal items.

The scamsters, posing as employees of courier company FedEx, invoke fear in the victim by accusing them of being involved in money laundering or terrorism. The victim is then connected to a ‘police officer’ – in reality another scamster – and conned into revealing their account balance. The victims are then made to transfer money to various other accounts under the guise of ‘verification.’

This time, according to a Times of India report, the scamsters allegedly forced a Bengaluru-based woman lawyer to strip on camera before conning her out of Rs 15 lakh.

Over a single call that lasted nearly 36 hours, the woman was recorded nude and blackmailed. The scamsters reportedly told her she had to strip for a narcotics test and then threatened to release her video on the dark web.

The 29-year-old lawyer told East CEN police that the scamsters extorted Rs 15 lakh from her over a call. The call began on 2.15 pm on April 3 and lasted till 1.15 am on April 5. During the call, she was told that a parcel in her name had been caught with MDMA.

She was asked to download Skype and get on a call with someone who claimed to be a CBI officer and identified himself as Abhishek Chauhan. Chauhan told the lawyer that there was a case of human trafficking, money laundering and identity theft against her. She was made to switch on her camera and take an “oath” that she would not disclose the information to anyone until the investigation was complete.

Over the course of the call, she was made to transfer Rs 15 lakh to other accounts. On the night of April 3, Chauhan allegedly forced the lawyer to strip on camera. She was told that unless she complied, she and her family members would be arrested. The scamster even threatened to kill her family.

The victim was asked to transfer another Rs 10 lakh, failing which her video would be released on the dark web. Scared, she finally cut the call around 1.15 am on April 5 and approached the police.

This case is the latest in a long line of FedEx courier scams that have troubled police. If you receive such a call, do not disclose any personal details and contact the cyber police immediately.

In a statement, the company said it does not ask customers for personal information. "FedEx does not request personal information through unsolicited phone calls, mail, or email for goods being shipped or held, unless requested or initiated by customers. If any individual receives any suspicious phone calls or messages, they are advised not to provide their personal information. Instead, they should immediately contact the local law enforcement authorities within the vicinity or report to the cybercrime department of the government of India," said FedEx.