BHOPAL: Cyber police have issued advisory against online video chatting with unknown persons as this could be a trap to blackmail and extort money. The cyber criminals are targeting people in honey traps. So far around 15 cases have been filed with the cyber police in the state, however, this is just the beginning as around 200 people have fallen victim to such criminal activities.
The cyber police have advised people not to engage in video conversation with unknown persons, block and reset privacy settings and also to report to police if they have become victim to any such criminal activity.
ADG cyber crime Yogesh Choudhary informed that mostly men are being lured into honey traps through video calls and then they are blackmailed with intimate photos and videos. Many people have come forward complaining against blackmailing and extortions.
Explaining the cyber criminals modus operandi, the officer said that usually women make video calls to men and engage them in conversation.
The gangs operate in two manners, first the woman would become friendly with the man and make him comfortable to share his nude pictures or videos or engage him in sexual activity. Then equipped with the objectionable pictures and videos, the fraudsters would demand for money or threaten to make the content viral on social media.
Besides, their other method is shorter but more dangerous. Here a man/woman receives a video call from an unknown number. When the person takes the video call his photograph reaches the caller which is then misused. The criminal would then affix morphed nude body image on the person’s photograph and use the morphed picture to blackmail the victim.
‘Don't accept friend request from unknown persons’
ADG cyber crime Yogesh Choudhary cautioned against sending friend requests to unknown people or accepting any such request from unknown people. People should avoid taking video calls on social media coming from unknown numbers, said the officer.
He said that if a fraudster is calling to extort money, the victim should deactivate his social media profile for sometime so that the crook is unable to send the videos or pictures to others in the victim's contact list. The ADG assuring all possible help has asked people to come forward and file a complaint with cyber police.
