As the popularity of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) match tickets escalates this IPL season, cybercriminals are exploiting this demand through deceptive tactics, including fraudulent websites and impersonation on social media platforms, resulting in substantial financial losses for victims.
One notable incident involved a 25-year-old technology professional from Bengaluru, who fell victim to a scammer via Instagram. A person posing as a senior ticket counter supervisor at M Chinnaswamy Stadium assured him of VIP perks—including match tickets, food vouchers, and additional ID cards for friends—specifically for the highly anticipated RCB-CSK match scheduled for Sunday.
To gain the victim’s trust, the scammer instructed him to meet near Gate 10 of the stadium and provided a counterfeit email confirmation. In a First Information Report (FIR) filed at the Mahadevapura police station, the victim recounted that he intended to purchase two tickets priced at Rs 3,700 each. However, the fraudster requested additional funds as a security deposit, promising a refund later. After exhausting his own transaction limits, the victim resorted to using his mother’s bank account, ultimately transferring a total of Rs 1.46 lakh without receiving any tickets in return.
In a related incident, M Narayana, the Deputy Commissioner of Police for Electronic City, reported that a counterfeit website masquerading as RCB’s official ticketing service had deceived several individuals ahead of the upcoming match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). This fraudulent site presented convincing information—stating “M Chinnaswamy Stadium Bengaluru, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, IPL 2026 tickets on sale”—and directed users to payment portals where they could select their seats and complete transactions. Once payments were processed, the site promptly disabled access.
Three victims have lodged complaints at the Hulimavu police station, detailing losses of Rs 7,196, Rs 11,991, and Rs 7,497, respectively. Authorities have initiated a cyber fraud investigation, blocked the implicated accounts, and have reached out to social media platforms to remove related content.
Stay informed with the latest updates – Follow us on Instagram.
