On July 3, a 23-year-old software engineer from Narsingi in Hyderabad received a WhatsApp video call from an unknown number, which led to a sextortion scam that cost him Rs 9.2 lakh. The engineer, who lodged a complaint with the Cyberabad Cybercrime Police, said the call was from a woman who began undressing and urged him to do the same, but it lasted only 15 seconds before being disconnected. Immediately after, another person called from the same number, sharing an edited video clip of the interaction and threatening to circulate it among the engineer’s contacts unless he paid money. The fraudster sent the clip to the engineer’s sister on Instagram as part of the intimidation, but deleted it after receiving Rs 82,000. However, the fraudsters continued to demand more money, claiming it was required to remove the video from the engineer’s phone and other platforms. Between July 3 and July 7, the engineer transferred a total of Rs 9.2 lakh to the fraudsters, fearing the video would be circulated. On July 8, he reported the incident through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and approached the Cyberabad Cybercrime Police. The police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, and an investigation is underway.
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📰 Source: Siasat Gulf