Bengaluru Techie Scammed by Fake Escort: How a ₹15,000 Booking Led to a Shocking ₹8.1 Lakh Loss

A Bengaluru-based IT professional became the victim of a ruthless extortion scam after booking an escort service online, resulting in a staggering loss of ₹8.1 lakh. The victim, identified as Gautham (name changed), a 29-year-old professional from Electronics City, was lured into the scam when he contacted a woman, who went by multiple names, including Roopa, Kushi, and Sonia, through a portal called massagerepublic.com.

It all started on November 29, when Gautham arranged to meet Roopa, who had advertised her services on the website. The two agreed on a three-hour meeting for ₹15,000. Gautham booked a hotel room on Residency Road and was expecting to meet a woman in her early twenties, but Roopa, who arrived around 6:15 p.m., was much older than she had claimed—likely in her 30s.

The initial payment was smooth. Gautham transferred ₹16,000 through a digital payment app, which included ₹1,000 for cab fare. However, what happened next turned into a nightmare. Roopa abruptly claimed to be an undercover police officer and threatened Gautham with arrest. As the situation quickly escalated, Gautham received a WhatsApp call from a man who introduced himself as Hitesh Kumar, an "IPS officer" and Roopa's colleague. His display picture showed a person in a police uniform, further convincing Gautham of the legitimacy of the situation.

Roopa snatched Gautham’s phone and put the call on speaker. Hitesh Kumar, the so-called "IPS officer," accused Gautham of illegal activity and demanded ₹10 lakh to avoid arrest. Gautham, terrified and unable to pay the demanded sum, tried to explain that he didn’t have that much money. However, the threats continued to mount, with Kumar warning Gautham that he would be physically dragged to the police station if he didn’t comply.

Under intense pressure, Roopa used Gautham’s credit card details, along with information from two other cards, to transfer ₹8.1 lakh to multiple accounts in several installments. The extortion lasted for over two hours, continuing until around 8:30 p.m.

When Gautham suggested they go to the police station to sort out the matter, Roopa followed him to the hotel reception. Gautham explained the situation to the hotel staff and asked them to call the police helpline. At that moment, Roopa abruptly cut the call and tried to flee the scene. In a bizarre attempt to escape, she stripped and accused Gautham of misbehaving with her, even biting his hand in the process.

As Roopa attempted to flee, the police arrived, and she pretended to faint in a final attempt to avoid arrest. However, the officers quickly saw through her act and helped Gautham contact the 1930 cyber helpline, which froze the accounts where the stolen money had been transferred.

Further investigation revealed that Roopa, whose real name was Pooja, was actually 31 years old, according to her Aadhaar card. She was arrested and taken into custody. A senior police official confirmed her arrest, and investigations are ongoing into the full extent of the scam.

This incident highlights the dangers of online scams and the importance of being cautious when engaging in services from unverified platforms. Gautham, fortunately, was able to involve the police and recover some of the lost funds, but many others may not be as lucky.