Bengaluru woman accuses KIA’s lounge of credit card scam after losing over Rs 87,000

In a chilling reminder of the rising tide of cybercrimes in India, a woman recently fell victim to an alleged scam at Bengaluru International Airport, losing over Rs 87,000 while attempting to access an airport lounge. The incident, which occurred on September 29, was shared by the victim through a video now making rounds on social media.

The woman recounted how she arrived at the airport five hours before her flight and decided to use the lounge facilities to rest. Without her physical credit card, she was asked by the lounge staff to provide a photograph of her card and download an app called “Lounge Pass” to proceed. Despite her initial hesitation — especially when prompted to complete a facial recognition step via screen sharing — she complied.

However, the woman ultimately did not use the lounge and opted to spend her time at a nearby café. Days later, her friends began reporting that they couldn’t reach her, with a strange man answering her calls instead. It wasn’t until she checked her credit card statement that the full scope of the scam became clear. More than Rs 87,000 had been transferred to a PhonePe account, likely through intercepted OTPs facilitated by the fake app.In the video, the woman speculated, "What I think happened is that the Lounge Pass app they asked me to download, along with the screen sharing, gave them access to my phone. They seem to have altered my settings and set up call forwarding, so I stopped receiving calls. I’m unsure how many of my OTPs they accessed or how much of this is technically possible, as I don’t have a tech background. A cybercrime case has been reported," she stated, accusing the Bengaluru airport lounge staff of possibly being involved in the scam.

Netizens, however, speculate that the story seems incomplete. Many suggested that Lounge Pass is a valid app and that the woman might’ve accidentally downloaded the wrong app. Some also said that it was highly unusual for official airport lounges to request users to download third-party apps for access, especially ones involving screen sharing or facial recognition.

For now, the supposed victim has since reported the crime to the authorities and warned others through her video, urging everyone to be vigilant, regardless of whether they use an iPhone or Android device. While the allegation remains unproven for now, the incident underscores the growing sophistication of cybercriminals, reminding us all to stay alert in an increasingly digital world.