My first international solo trip to Vietnam started on a very upsetting note.
Before I share what happened, let me take you back to an incident. It occurred almost a month ago in Delhi.
One weekend morning, I was traveling on the Delhi Metro. While changing trains at Rajiv Chowk, someone stole my phone. I realized it only after reaching the next station when I reached into my pocket and found it missing.
I promptly reported the incident at the Rajiv Chowk police station. Later that afternoon, they called me back to give my phone’s IMEI number and a written statement.
The police explained that, unfortunately, the CCTV camera facing the coach is far away to recognize someone clearly. This was heartbreaking to hear!!
Honestly, I didn’t expect to get my phone back, but I still did everything I could.
I had bought that phone just a month earlier, in mid-December, and suddenly lost it in January!
For the next few days, I kept following up with the police, but their responses were discouraging.
Right after the theft, I deactivated my stolen phone’s SIM and got a duplicate one for another device. But I couldn’t shake off the worry—what if the thief managed to unlock my phone? My personal data could be misused.
Over time, the incident started fading from my memory, and life went back to normal.
Little did I know, my worst fear was about to come true.
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Fast Forward a Month…
I was boarding my flight from Delhi to Hanoi. I received a message from an unknown number. It claimed to be my friend. The message said, “I need some urgent money, I”ll give it back quickly.
I explained multiple times that I was traveling abroad and couldn’t help. To prove my situation, I even sent a selfie of myself sitting on the plane.
Meanwhile, the scammer—pretending to be me—messaged one of my real friends, saying, “I need urgent money.” My friend refused several times but eventually decided to help, thinking I was truly in need. He admired my work and trusted me.
The scam happened almost at the same time I received the message.
The next day, my friend called me multiple times on Instagram and sent messages asking me to return the money.
At first, I thought he was joking or that maybe his account had been hacked. I messaged him on WhatsApp, and when he called me back, he explained everything.
That’s when it became clear—someone did a scam.
A Costly Mistake
The biggest mistake we made was trusting the message without confirming it through a direct phone call.
After realizing what had happened, I promptly posted a warning on my WhatsApp and Instagram stories to alert others.
That’s when another friend messaged me. He said he had received the same message. Luckily, he didn’t send any money. He simply didn’t have any at the time.
I reported the scam to the police, but they only advised me to be cautious online. They had already marked my phone as lost, but beyond that, there wasn’t much they could do.
This experience was a tough lesson. It highlighted the importance of verifying information and staying alert. This is especially true when it comes to online communication and financial transactions.
Conclusion
We all learn from our mistakes and experiences. So, always take care of your belongings and stay cautious whenever you step out.
