Bengaluru techie loses ₹1.4 lakh in escort service scam

A 29-year-old Bengaluru man lost ₹1.4 lakh to fraudsters while trying to book an escort online. He was tricked into making multiple payments under the pretext of booking, security, cancellation, and GST charges.

Bengaluru: A 29-year-old techie from Electronics City lost ₹1.4 lakh after falling prey to an online escort service scam. The man, identified as Rahul (name changed), was tricked by fraudsters who lured him with fake profiles on a shady website and kept demanding payments under various pretexts.

The incident took place on April 20, when Rahul, seeking companionship, browsed escort service websites and came across “Kissbal Escorts Services”. After selecting a profile, he contacted a number listed on the website and was later connected to another person who shared details about the supposed escort, including her profession, age, and language preferences.

Rahul was initially asked to pay ₹400 to confirm the booking. Once the amount was transferred via a digital payment app, the scam escalated. The fraudsters obtained Rahul’s address through his shared location and claimed they would soon send the escort.

However, new demands quickly followed. Rahul was asked to pay two security deposits of ₹6,900, each claimed to be refundable. Then came a request to activate a service code with two more payments of ₹9,500. Each time, the scammers convinced him the money was refundable.

When Rahul attempted to cancel the booking, they demanded ₹7,590 as cancellation charges, followed by another ₹7,990. In total, he ended up making multiple transactions amounting to ₹1.4 lakh, including additional payments under the guise of GST and other charges. The fraudsters then started threatening and blackmailing him, warning him of "serious trouble" if he didn’t comply.

Despite initial hesitation to report the incident due to the sensitive nature of the scam, Rahul eventually filed a complaint after persistent calls and extortion messages.

The police have registered a case under the Information Technology Act and BNS Section 318 (cheating). A senior officer confirmed that steps have been initiated to freeze the accounts linked to the fraud. Authorities have also warned the public not to trust online escort service websites, stating that such services are illegal in India and are often used to lure and scam unsuspecting individuals.