Bengaluru: A woman fell victim to a scam at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, losing over Rs 87,000 while trying to access the airport lounge. The incident, which took place on September 29, was shared by Bhargavi Mani in a video that has since gone viral.
In her video, Mani explained how she became a target. She did not have her physical credit card with her but showed the lounge staff a picture of it. They instructed her to download an app called “Lounge Pass” and complete a facial recognition process, claiming it was for security reasons. Unaware that this was a scam, she followed their directions. Unfortunately, this led to her personal information being stolen.
Victim explains how she became target
After downloading the app, Mani was unable to use the lounge. Shortly after, she began to notice problems with her phone. “I couldn’t receive calls at first, and I thought it was just a network issue. But my friends later told me that strangers were answering my calls, which raised my suspicions,” she said.
Further investigation revealed that scammers had charged more than Rs 87,000 to her credit card and transferred the money to a PhonePe account. Mani suspects that the “Lounge Pass” app allowed the criminals to access her phone, redirect her calls, and intercept OTPs, enabling them to make unauthorised transactions.
What victim said
Despite her financial loss, Mani clarified in a follow-up video that she does not hold Bengaluru International Airport or its authorities responsible for the scam. She mentioned that airport officials had approached her and were assisting her in dealing with the situation. She has reported the incident to the cybercrime department, blocked her credit card and informed her bank to prevent any further transactions.
In her viral video, she urged fellow travellers to be cautious when using credit cards in public spaces and to be careful about the apps they download. A social media user who shared Mani’s video expressed shock at the incident, said that the scam happened at Bengaluru International Airport and involved a person using an iPhone, which is often thought to be secure. The user advised others to protect their hard-earned money.
