Debina Bonnerjee recounts how the theft happened at her house in broad daylight; says ‘The worker was so smart to wipe out the entire phone to make it look like his’

Debina Bonnerjee recently opened up about a shocking theft at her new home in broad daylight. In a candid vlog, she detailed how a newly appointed house help managed to steal her mother’s phone and earpods. Despite strict building security, the thief smartly wiped the phone and tried to make it appear as his. Debina and Gurmeet later recovered the stolen items.

After shifting to a new house, Debina and Gurmeet noticed their usual worker stopped showing up. While finding a replacement, Gurmeet flagged concerns. “He said the guy doesn’t have an Indian ID,” Debina recalled. They refused to hire the first man, but later accepted someone else sent by him—who provided valid ID proof. “It seemed okay at the time,” she admitted. But their instincts proved right when the theft unfolded shockingly just hours after the new worker was hired.

The theft happened on the very day the new worker started. “He did some work and then just vanished,” Debina said. Her mother called to inform that the helper left without saying a word—and soon realised her phone was gone. “She called me from our cook’s phone. When I dialed her number, a strange man answered in another language,” Debina added. Multiple calls only deepened the suspicion. “I knew something was wrong. The signs were all there,” she said.

When Debina called her mom’s number, she was shocked. “A man answered and spoke in a completely different language. I thought maybe it was a wrong number,” she said. But when she called again from a different number and said the helper’s name, the man immediately responded in the same foreign tongue. “That’s when I knew he had the phone. It wasn’t a mistake,” Debina shared, visibly disturbed by how smartly he tried to hide the theft over calls.

Once home, Debina reviewed the CCTV footage. “I clearly saw him taking the phone and leaving through the kitchen door,” she said. Gurmeet took immediate action and called the person who had referred the worker. “He was told firmly—either get the phone back or we’ll involve the police,” Debina recalled. Within minutes, they got a call back. “The guy said his friend has returned and he will return the phone and Bluetooth. That pressure worked,” she added.

Debina was stunned by the thief’s clever tricks. “He wiped the entire phone, threw out the SIM, and even put his own photo on the wallpaper,” she said. “Kitna smart thinking hai,” she added. He bypassed tight building security by unlocking the phone and making it look like it belonged to him. “He switched off the location and confidently walked out. It was scary to see how prepared and smart he was,” Debina admitted, calling it a serious wake-up call.

The theft happened in broad daylight and under what Debina calls “very strict security.” “Everyone who leaves the building is checked, including what they’re carrying,” she explained. Still, the thief managed to manipulate appearances and pass through the checks unnoticed. “We have cameras, guards—it didn’t stop him. That’s what’s truly scary,” she said. The incident made them realize that clever criminals can outsmart even the most secure systems if you’re not cautious with who you let into your home.

Debina candidly admitted, “Mujhe bhi thodi daant padi, because I spoke to him and agreed to keep him.” She urged viewers to wait 2–3 days before trusting any newly hired worker. “Even in that short span, anything can happen,” she said. The experience taught her and Gurmeet to always double-check credentials and references. “Don’t ignore your gut. Gurmeet had doubts from the start, and we still went ahead. That’s something I’ve learned the hard way,” she added.

While the theft shook the family, Debina is thankful it didn’t escalate. “Thankfully, nothing happened to the kids. That’s all that matters,” she said emotionally. “We’ll do away with help for a few days and manage ourselves,” she added. Gurmeet’s quick thinking helped recover the stolen items. “He took charge, called everyone, and stayed calm. We’re just relieved it ended safely,” she said, concluding with a heartfelt warning: “Be careful—anyone you appoint at home can be a risk.”