iPhone user loses Rs 87,000 after downloading 'Lounge Pass app' at Bengaluru airport

In the video, Bhargavi Mani clarified that she does not hold the airport authorities responsible for the incident.

A woman was defrauded of Rs 87,000 while attempting to access a lounge at Bengaluru International Airport, highlighting the growing prevalence of cybercrime at public spaces. Bhargavi Mani, the victim, shared her ordeal in a viral video, warning others of the scam she fell prey to while travelling.

On September 29, Mani, who did not have her physical credit card, presented a photograph of the card at the lounge counter. The staff advised her to download an app called “Lounge Pass” and complete a facial recognition process for security purposes. However, what seemed like a standard procedure quickly turned into a well-executed scam. She later realised that the app was used to compromise her iPhone, allowing fraudsters to siphon money from her account.

Mani explained that after following the instructions, she did not use the lounge and instead visited a coffee shop at the airport. Days later, she noticed that she was no longer receiving phone calls. Initially assuming it was a network issue, the realisation of fraud came when people told her that a "male" answered her calls. Further investigation revealed that Rs 87,000 had been transferred from her credit card to a PhonePe account.

The scammers had likely gained access to her iPhone through the fraudulent app, setting up call forwarding and intercepting one-time passwords (OTPs) to make unauthorised transactions, according to Mani.

“I was travelling without my physical card, and the lounge staff directed me to download the app. I later realised they had used it to set up call forwarding and intercept OTPs for transactions,” she said. After discovering the fraudulent charges, Mani immediately reported the incident to the cybercrime department, informed her bank, and blocked her card to prevent further misuse.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kolam Podu® with Bhargavii Mani (@kolampodu)

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'I don't hold Bengaluru airport authorities responsible for this'

In the video, she clarified that she does not hold the airport authorities responsible for the incident. The Bengaluru International Airport authorities have since contacted her and are cooperating with her in addressing the issue.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kolam Podu® with Bhargavii Mani (@kolampodu)

Mani's videos garnered a lot of attention and social media users were quick to comment. "Actually as a senior citizen myself, I find that technology is advancing so fast that it is better NOT to use things you don’t know much about . I consider EVERYTHING a scam because who knows right? I never answer calls from strange numbers which means that most people cannot connect with me," a user wrote.

Another user commented, "This is a bigger issue that's rooted at the airport, the lounge staff obviously knows but airport authorities do not? Great you made a video. If you are on Twitter please raise it there and tag the airport, aviation ministry access handles.

"Thank you for the caution note. While you identified the root cause of the issue, it should be reported to BIA authorities also for having such a fictitious mobile app in their lounge. Hope the issue will be resolved soon. Take care," a user suggested.