Pune, 20th June 2023: In a distressing incident, a young IT professional working as an IT officer with a jeweler in Pune fell victim to a sextortion scam, resulting in a significant loss of 1,042,000 rupees. The case highlights the growing threat of cybercrime and the need for increased awareness and vigilance among internet users.
According to the complaint filed with the police, the 33-year-old IT officer received a video call in February 2022 from an unidentified woman who was naked. During the call, the woman discreetly took a screenshot of the video without his knowledge.
Soon after, the IT officer received the shocking screenshots along with a threatening message from the woman. She warned him that unless he complied with her demands, she would distribute the explicit images to his relatives and friends. In an attempt to prevent the dissemination, she demanded a total of 39 lakh rupees through online transactions.
To further add to the victim’s distress, he received a call from an individual claiming to be Cyber Police Commissioner Srivastava. The imposter, pretending to have apprehended the woman involved, informed the complainant that he had uploaded the incriminating screenshots and video on YouTube. However, he demanded a fine for the video’s upload, extorting an additional sum of 3.28 lakh rupees from the already distressed IT officer.
The fraudulent activities continued as the imposter falsely claimed that the police required funds for their investigation. Believing these claims, the victim sent an additional amount of 2.6 lakh rupees to the imposter.
In May 2022, the IT officer was contacted by an individual claiming to be Rahul Sharma, who informed him that an excessive amount of 173,180 rupees had been sent and promised to refund it. However, under false pretenses, Rahul Sharma persuaded the victim to send back the funds, resulting in an additional loss of 427,000 rupees.
The situation took a tragic turn on the evening of 14th May 2023, when the IT officer received a call informing him that the woman involved had allegedly committed suicide. The caller demanded that he pay a sum of money to the deceased woman’s relatives. It was at this point that the victim realized he had been deceived and promptly approached the police to file a formal complaint.
The police have registered a case against an unidentified woman who possessed the mobile phone used in the scam, as well as the fraudulent individual impersonating the Cyber Police Commissioner. Investigations are underway to identify and apprehend the culprits involved in this distressing sextortion scam.
