Mumbai: In a bizarre case of cyber extortion, a 51-year-old businessman from Ghatkopar, Mumbai, was threatened via WhatsApp by unknown individuals using two Pakistani mobile numbers demanding a mere ₹970. The extortionists allegedly sent morphed photos of the victim along with a QR code for payment and threatened to share the images with his contacts if the money wasn't paid.
According to police, the businessman, who owns a furniture factory located at Nashik Highway, Babusa Industrial Park in Kalyan, first received a message saying “Hi” from an unknown Pakistani number on June 21 at around 8:45 a.m. He ignored it. A similar message was received again on June 26 from a different Pakistani number, which he also disregarded.
Things escalated on the next day, the victim was sent a morphed image of himself along with a QR code demanding ₹970. He replied to the sender saying, "Don't trouble me." In response, the sender wrote, "Pay or not pay, just tell me," and followed up by sending a list of the victim’s contacts—including his father, brother, and friends threatening to circulate the morphed photos if the money wasn’t paid.
Refusing to give in, the businessman did not pay the amount. Soon after, one of his friends received the morphed photo, confirming the extortionist had begun executing the threat, prompting the victim to approach the Pantnagar Police Station and lodged an official complaint.
Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act. An investigation is currently underway to trace the culprits behind this extortion attempt.
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