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Popular social media influencer Ankush Bahuguna on Sunday recounted a shocking and traumatic ordeal in which he was held hostage by scammers for 40 hours. The content creator, in a video on Instagram, detailed how he was forced into a "digital arrest," isolated from friends and family, and lost not only money but also his mental well-being during the ordeal.
"I've been missing from social media and everywhere for the last three days because I was held hostage by some scammers," he said. "I'm still in a little bit of a shock. I've lost money. I lost my mental health to this. I can't believe that this happened to me."
The nightmare began with a seemingly harmless automated call claiming that a package was being delivered to him. Intrigued, Mr Bahuguna pressed "zero" for support, unwittingly opening the door to a scheme that would alter his life. "The biggest mistake of my life," he said, recalling the moment he pressed the number. The call led him to a supposed customer support representative, who told him that a package with illegal substances intended for China was linked to his name. The representative informed the influencer that an arrest warrant had already been issued for him and that he would be arrested imminently.
Panicking, Mr Bahuguna denied any knowledge of the package but was then told that he would need to speak with the police to resolve the matter. The scammer convinced him that there was not enough time to go to the police station, and instead, he would be connected directly to a police officer.
The officer on the video call, who appeared authoritative, began interrogating Mr Bahuguna, accusing him of being involved in money laundering, drug trafficking, and other serious crimes. "You are a prime suspect in this national case," the officer told him, adding that he would be detained and subjected to abuse unless he cooperated fully. He was informed that he was now under "self-custody," a term that would lead to 40 hours of isolation.
Mr Bahuguna described being interrogated via video calls by individuals impersonating law enforcement. "They isolated me completely," he said. "I couldn't contact anyone, pick up calls, or even check messages. They claimed I was under self-custody and that anything I did could be used against me."
For the next 40 hours, Mr Bahuguna remained trapped in a video call with the scammers. His gadgets had to be switched off, and every detail of his life was scrutinised by the scammers. He was even forced to show them every notification on his phone, under the constant threat of arrest if he attempted to communicate with anyone.
The influencer recounted how the scammers manipulated him into sharing sensitive information and even performing questionable financial transactions under duress. "They played good cop, bad cop, breaking me down mentally. I was crying, but they kept me on the call for 40 hours straight," Mr Bahuguna revealed.
"I was not allowed to pick calls. I was not allowed to message people or reply to their messages, let anybody in the house. They told me that if I tried to reach out to anyone, they would arrest me and harm the people I contacted," he added, his voice breaking as he recounted the emotional toll.
He was also coerced into completing suspicious tasks, including making bank transactions under duress. He was continuously told that if he didn't cooperate, his career would be destroyed, his family would be in danger, and he would be subjected to harsh treatment. "They took my bank details. They took so many details of my life," he said. "They told me, 'Your parents are under threat,' and 'If you try to contact anyone, we'll arrest you.'"
The manipulation was relentless. Mr Bahuguna was instructed to send a screenshot of his every move and even had to pretend that everything was normal to his friends, who were concerned. As his friends contacted him, he was forced to reassure them that he was simply busy. "People were messaging me asking if someone was holding me hostage. This is not normal behaviour," he recalled the confusion and fear his friends felt as they saw his increasingly erratic responses.
At one point, he was instructed to leave his house and go to a bank to perform questionable transactions. "They sent me to a bank and asked me to do some very fishy transactions," he said. "I had no other option but to do it."
At one point, the scammers even instructed him to check into a hotel. "I was shaking, I was anxious, and I kept thinking, 'What is happening? What is going on?'" Mr Bahuguna recounted, revealing the toll the experience took on his mental state. "I was literally crying and begging them."
After 40 long hours of isolation, manipulation, and fear, his luck turned when he managed to reconnect with his family. "My sister, my friends, they were constantly trying to contact me, and finally, I saw her message," he said, describing how he saw a text that said the "digital arrest" was a scam prevalent in the country. He wrote in his caption, "I feel so lucky to have friends with such strong instincts who noticed a change in my behaviour even when they were getting 'I'm okay' texts from me. They literally saved my life. Imagine if they hadn't come looking for me or looked for clues! I'd probably still be in that cyber arrest and would've lost all my money."
"The thing with these scams is if you buy one lie, they will tell 10 more, and those will be scarier things," he warned, urging his followers to be vigilant.
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"I've lost money, mental peace, and trust in so much," he admitted. "I'm sharing this because I don't want anyone else to go through what I did. If you get such calls, report them immediately and stay alert."