In a disturbing sextortion scam, cybercriminals extorted Rs 12.8 lakh from an elderly man in Delhi. The victim, who had received a WhatsApp video call with a nude woman, faced threats of explicit screenshot exposure. The Cyber Cell in Shahdara has apprehended two individuals in connection with the case, identified as Barkhat Khan (32) and Rizwan (22).
On July 18, the victim was confronted with a WhatsApp video call featuring a undressed woman. Before he could react, the woman took a screenshot of the call, capturing the victim’s face. Subsequently, he began receiving calls from various mobile numbers, with the callers posing as Cyber Crime Delhi representatives. They threatened to publish the screenshot of his video call and demanded money.
Nude WhatsApp Video call Received by Delhi Man
When the victim resisted, the culprits escalated their threats by sending an image of the woman, purportedly deceased and hanging. Fearing for his safety, the elderly man transferred Rs 12,80,000 to the bank account provided by the extortionists.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Rohit Meena reported that the initial arrest was made in Alwar, apprehending Barkhat Khan, and recovering three mobile phones and multiple SIM cards from his possession. Further investigations revealed that a syndicate was involved in these extortions through video calls. Multiple raids were conducted, leading to the arrest of Rizwan in Deeg.
Similar incidents have occurred in the past, highlighting the importance of vigilance against sextortion scams. In a previous case in May, a 75-year-old resident of Vasant Kunj fell victim to such a scheme and was defrauded of Rs 7.34 lakhs by cybercriminals. These scams often begin with explicit video chats, followed by extortion demands, posing a significant risk to individuals online.
