‘Got A Call, Held Hostage…’: YouTuber Put Under Digital Arrest For 40 Hours – News18

Last Updated:January 05, 2025, 17:30 IST

Ankush Bahuguna took to Instagram to share his ordeal where he was held hostage in the cyber arrest scam for nearly 40 hours.

Social Media influencer and YouTuber Ankush Bahuguna has shared a devastating and horrific incident of being under “digital arrest” for around 40 hours.

The influencer, who represented India at the Cannes Film Festival, found himself dealing with accusations and ‘international FIRs’ for cases he was completely unaware of.

Bahuguna took to Instagram to share his ordeal where he was held hostage in the cyber arrest scam for nearly 40 hours.

According to the influencer, he received a call from a number that was from outside India.

The number which appeared wired to him, claimed from the ‘authorities’ which accused the YouTuber of some illegal packages. He was then asked to remain on a video call for 40 hours- which was when he went into the ‘cyber arrest’.

“I got a call when I returned from the gym from a very weird number. It seemed like an international number. I picked it up without thinking much. It was an automated call that said your courier delivery had been cancelled. Press zero for support,” he said.

The influencer said that the scammer disguised as a police officer, tried to isolate him from everyone under the pretext of being arrested and safeguarding his loved ones from getting involved.

He further revealed that he was about to send the scammer the money, however, it failed due to some issue with the bank. He was then asked to stay in a hotel- ‘for his own safety’- which is when he finally managed to read a text from his friend- warning him about such scams.

“He (the customer support executive) told me that I was sending a package to China and customs have seized it now. I got scared, I said I hadn’t sent anything. But he said that my name, my Aadhar number, everything is mentioned in the package. This is a very serious crime, and now you will be under digital arrest. There is an arrest warrant already in your name,” Ankush said in the video.

The influencer also dubbed the incident traumatic as he recalled how his friends were also panicking for his safety due to his sudden absence.

He later said that he was now fine, and further urged the viewers to stay vigilant and informed, emphasising the importance of spreading awareness to prevent others from falling prey.

Bahuguna said that he narrated his experience so that he could spread awareness against such frauds.

“Sharing this, so others don’t have to go through what I went through. I feel so lucky to have friends with such strong instincts who noticed a change in my behaviour even when I was sending ‘I’m okay’ texts,” he said.

As soon as the clip began to float on social media, netizens came forward to share their take. “More love to you! Please try and rest now. Your body and mind have been through a lot. Please try and forgive yourself. You’re not stupid at all this has happened to so many people. When you’re in it you don’t even realise it’s a scam. Please take care of yourself, bubs,” a user said.