Social media influencer Akanksha Thakral recently fell victim to an elaborate online scam, resulting in a financial loss of ₹1,10,000. A con artist, pretending to be an Axis Bank representative, deceived her into updating her KYC using a fraudulent link.

Thakral shared her ordeal in a viral clip, revealing how the scammer initially contacted her about an “incomplete KYC update.” Later, he reassured her that the process could be completed online, eliminating the need for a bank visit. Trusting the claim, she clicked on a WhatsApp link that redirected her to a counterfeit Axis Bank KYC portal, where she unknowingly submitted her confidential details.

Within moments, she received a notification of ₹50,000 being withdrawn. Alarmed, she rushed to log out of all UPI applications, but the hackers had already drained her funds. Left with just ₹800, she immediately transferred it to another account.

Further investigation revealed that the malicious link had installed a message-cloning application, granting scammers access to her banking credentials.

Expressing frustration, Thakral stated that the police showed little concern, dismissing her case by questioning how an educated individual could fall prey to such deception.

Determined to prevent others from facing the same fate, she warned, “Never click on suspicious links—message spoofing is a real and dangerous threat.”