Bengaluru Woman Arrested for India-Wide Bomb Hoax via VPN

• A Bengaluru woman sent bomb hoax emails across 11 states using VPNs and fake IDs.
• Traced after logging into personal email via office network, exposing real identity.
• Motive tied to personal obsession; intended to frame ex-colleague to gain attention.

A 30-year-old Bengaluru woman has been arrested for orchestrating bomb hoax threats across major Indian cities, an incident that triggered widespread panic and a multi-state cyber investigation. The woman, Rene Joshilda, originally from Chennai and employed as a robotics engineer, reportedly used VPNs and fake email IDs to carry out the hoax, which impacted at least 11 states before she was finally tracked down.

The bomb threats, sent via email on June 20, 2025, targeted airports and public places in cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. The messages led to emergency evacuations, large-scale security checks, and heightened public alarm. Authorities say the level of coordination in the emails led them to believe there was a major terror threat, prompting an immediate and extensive probe involving cybercrime units from across the country.

Investigators initially struggled to identify the source of the emails due to layers of anonymizing tools, including VPN services, which masked the sender’s IP address. Joshilda had also created fake email accounts using the name of a former colleague, reportedly someone she had romantic feelings for, who had recently married someone else. According to police, she intended to frame him in the threats, likely in a misguided attempt to make contact with him.

Her digital cover held up until a key mistake gave her away. At one point, she reportedly logged into one of her personal, unprotected email accounts using her office network, inadvertently revealing her true location and identity. This small digital misstep was all investigators needed to trace the operation back to her.

During interrogation, Joshilda admitted that her motive was rooted in personal obsession. She hoped that creating panic using her former colleague’s name and then appearing to help him would lead to a conversation. Police have described her as tech-savvy but emotionally unstable, stating that her actions were driven by a mix of revenge and emotional distress.

Joshilda has been arrested and charged under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to criminal intimidation, public mischief, and misuse of technology. Officials emphasized that bomb threats, regardless of intent, are treated as serious criminal offenses due to their capacity to disrupt public order and divert emergency services.

The case of the Bengaluru woman sending bomb hoax highlights how digital tools like VPNs, often used for privacy, can be misused, but also how even the most carefully planned cyber obfuscation can be undone by a single misstep. Ultimately, the incident serves as a reminder that digital anonymity is not foolproof and that the consequences of cybercrime can be severe.