The cyber cell of the Mumbai police has arrested five people, including a minor, for allegedly running an inter-state ‘sextortion’ racket. The accused used to contact victims on social media and the record their videos.
They then used to blackmail them and extort money. The accused have been arrested from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa.
In such rackets, the accused befriend the victims on social media. After gaining their trust, the accused used to coax them into stripping or indulging them in sexual activities that would be recorded. The accused then use these videos to blackmail the victims and extort money from them, a police official said.
The police have so far found 12 fake social media accounts and six email IDs. “The accused have shot videos of at least 250 victims in compromising positions. Around 80 such videos have also been sold. These accused had made a group called ‘Telegram’ where they used to circulate the videos. The group has been deactivated and the matter is being investigated,” said DCP (cyber) Rashmi Karandikar.
Meanwhile, the police have appealed to the public to not accept friend requests from unknown people as it could be a trap.
