In another shocking case of cybercrime against unsuspecting citizens in Mumbai, a 34-year-old resident of Goregaon filed a complaint after he was cheated of ₹1.2 lakh in a typical case of sextortion. The incident brings into light the increasing menace of online extortion wherein scammers lure victims into intimate chats or video calls, threatening to circulate morphed or recorded visuals unless money is paid.
How the Scam Began
In all cases, the victim would get a message from an unknown woman on social media, who begins to converse with him in a friendly way. Within a few minutes, the chat becomes explicit, and the woman convinces him to connect to a private video call. Unbeknownst to the man, the scammers recorded the session using screen-capture tools.
Soon after, he started getting threatening messages from persons who claimed to be members of a “cyber crime authority” and told him that he was involved in illegal sexual activities online and will be prosecuted, unless he pays the fine right away. The fraudsters sent faked images showing him in compromising situations, which heightened the panic and psychological pressure.
The Extortion Begins
The extortionists demanded money to “settle” the case privately and not circulate the alleged video to his contacts, family members, and social media followers. Fearing social embarrassment and legal trouble, the victim transferred ₹1.2 lakh in multiple transactions through digital wallets and UPI IDs provided by the fraudsters.
However, even after paying the money amount, the threats did not stop. Realising that he was continuously being targeted for more money, the man finally approached the Goregaon Police Station, where a case was registered under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act.
What the FIR States
The FIR focuses on the sequence of events:
How the victim was contacted on social media
The shift to explicit video calls.
The use of edited or recorded material
The extortion threats in the name of authorities
The financial transfers executed under compulsion
The police have initiated tracking of the mobile numbers, UPI IDs, and social media accounts involved in it. The officers suspect the involvement of a larger cyber-extortion network, many of which operate from outside Maharashtra or even across international borders.
Sextortion: An Emerging Cyber Threat for India
Many cybercrime units in the country have reported a sharp spike, notably since the proliferation of smartphones, cheap data, and social media connectivity. Scammers will most often target:
The young adults
Working professionals
People who can be leveraged through the fear of public embarrassment
According to police officials, these crimes thrive on the hesitation of victims to come forward because of social stigma. In most cases, by the time victims seek help they have already suffered major financial losses.
Police Advisory: What Citizens Should Do
The authorities have encouraged residents to be careful when interacting with people online, particularly strangers. Key advisories include:
Do not engage in explicit conversations or calls with strangers.
Do not accept unsolicited video calls.
Refrain from sharing personal information or photos on any unknown platform.
Block and report suspicious accounts immediately
Don’t send money under pressure or threats.
Contact the police or the Cyber Crime Helpline at 1930 the moment such threats start.
Police stress that in such cases, the swindlers seldom have any real authority or resources for their claims of legal intervention-purely psychological manipulation.
Impact on the Victim
The Goregaon resident informed the investigators that during this process, he suffered acute anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress. Like many others, he too was initially reluctant to approach the police but later found that reporting the crime was the only option to ensure harassment did not continue.
Cyber psychologists say that victims of sextortion often suffer from emotional trauma and social fear, hence authorities should deal with such cases sensitively.
Ongoing Investigation The police are now tracking the digital footprints to ascertain the mastermind behind the scam. As multiple such cases were reported all over Mumbai in the last couple of months, the investigators suspect that the same network may operate under different identities. The case has been forwarded to the cyber cell for deeper analysis in this connection.
