Shivankita Dixit, who won the Femina Miss India West Bengal title in 2017, became the target of a cyber scam in which she was extorted ₹99,000. The fraudsters, posing as CBI officers, tricked her into a "digital arrest" via a video call that lasted for two hours.
The incident unfolded when Shivankita, a resident of Mans Nagar, Agra, received a call from an unknown number. The caller introduced himself as a CBI officer and claimed that a bank account had been opened in Delhi using her Aadhaar card and linked SIM card. He further stated that ransom money related to human trafficking, money laundering, and child abduction was being transferred to this account in her name.
Believing the threat, Shivankita continued the conversation via a video call. During the call, she saw a person in a police uniform with three stars on the epaulet, and the background displayed "Cyber Police Delhi." Over the course of the video call, she spoke to four individuals, including a female officer, who warned her that she would be arrested and sent to jail if she did not resolve the issue promptly.
Following the scammers’ instructions, Shivankita transferred ₹99,000 to the account they provided. Once she reached her online transfer limit, the scammer instructed her to send more money to another account.
Unaware of the situation, Shivankita's father, Sanjay Dixit, was knocking on her door, waiting for her to open it. After a long wait, he grew suspicious and eventually realized his daughter was being duped in the cyber scam. He immediately accompanied her to the local police station to file a complaint. Shivankita also reported the incident to the cyber-crime helpline and filed an official complaint via email with the Cyber Crime Cell.
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This unfortunate incident highlights the growing concern over cyber frauds targeting individuals, even those with public profiles, and emphasizes the importance of staying vigilant against such schemes.