An Indian man has shared his comical brush with a scam call from Pakistan, showing the lengths fraudsters go to deceive unsuspecting individuals. Shiv Arora, the man who received the phone call, recounted the bizarre incident on Instagram and exposed the scammer’s over-the-top tactics, asking others to be careful.
The call, made on WhatsApp, originated from a Pakistani number with a display picture of a police officer. The caller claimed a loved one had been arrested and demanded money for their release. The fake officer started by asking Mr Arora, “Aapke bete ka naam bataiye, main aapki usse baat kara deta hu” (Tell me your son’s name, and I will let you speak to him).
Sensing the scam, Mr Arora decided to play along. He provided the name “Shiv” – his own name – and added that the boy was in Moradabad. Asked about his relation to the boy, Mr Arora humorously responded, “Nani” (maternal grandmother).
The scammer pressed on and insisted on speaking to the boy’s mother. Mr Arora brought a woman to the phone, explaining that the “police had arrested Shiv”. As she answered the call, the scammer introduced a man pretending to be the “arrested” son.
What followed left the family in splits. The impersonator began wailing dramatically, shouting “Mumma, mumma” in an exaggerated tone. The absurd performance caused Mr Arora to burst out laughing, leading the scammer to abruptly hang up the call.
Mr Arora later posted a video of the interaction saying, “I received a call today from a number originating in Pakistan, with a display picture showing a police officer. They claimed that a loved one had been arrested and demanded money for their release.”
He warned, “This is a SCAM targeting vulnerable individuals, especially the elderly. Please be vigilant and warn your family and friends about these deceitful tactics.”
He also shared these safety tips:
“Do not share any personal information.
Do not transfer any money.
Report such calls immediately to your local authorities.”
The post has since gone viral.
A user commented, “You laughed, he laughed, we laughed.”
Another wrote, “Scammer scammed.”
“Shiv was at home this whole time,” read a comment.
Someone said, “Laugh was personal.”
In a similar incident, a Mumbai man outsmarted a scammer during a video call by holding up his puppy instead of showing his face, cheekily saying, “Here I am, sir.” The scammer, baffled, ended the call.
