Men over 40 are honeytrap by unemployed youth through digital footprint tracing; Social stigma prevents victims from complaining
Men over 40 are honeytrap by unemployed youth through digital footprint tracing; Social stigma prevents victims from complaining
“Hello, if you are alone, video call me,” fell 60-year-old Rakesh*, a Delhi-based businessman, to a WhatsApp message from an unknown young woman in the second week of April this year.
When he responded to the request, a pornographic video appeared on his screen and the call was soon disconnected. A minute later, an unknown caller threatened to pay him ₹80,000. Otherwise, he was told, a recorded video call in which he is watching pornographic videos would be shared with his family members and also on social media. He paid the amount and after this, two persons posing as Delhi Police Crime Branch officer and YouTube officer called him on WhatsApp video and demanded ₹6.50 lakh by showing a fake FIR.
It took them two months to file the complaint. Under sections 384 (punishment for extortion), 170 (impersonation of a public servant), 419 (punishment for cheating by impersonation), 420 (cheating and dishonesty), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 34 (general intent) FIR was registered. IPC
Rakesh was a victim of sextortion, a crime in which individuals extort money by threatening victims to leak private photos and videos on the Internet.
increase in cases
A senior police officer of the cyber cell told Hindu that sexual abuse cases have increased and complaints have doubled during the pandemic “Before COVID-19, we used to receive a couple of complaints a month; Now we get eight to nine,” said the officer.
However, the number of cases far outweighs the number of people coming forward to complain. Also, the number of FIRs registered is less than the number of complaints registered. DCP (Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations) KPS Malhotra said that in the last three years, 25 cases have been registered and 33 arrests made. “But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Out of 100 cases, at least 85 victims answer the call and 70 become victims of sexual abuse,” he said.
modus operandi
The modalities of such frauds change from time to time. Victims are usually befriended on Facebook and lured to interact with nude images on Messenger chat. If the victim indulges, a request is sent for a WhatsApp video call and obscene videos are shown from the other phone, while the video call is simultaneously recorded for blackmail. And once the victim is caught in the trap and pays the amount, more money is collected through impersonation.
choosing a target
In Rakesh’s case, his Facebook profile displayed a lavish lifestyle and the accused traced his digital footprint to ascertain his paying capacity. Digital footprint tracing is a new concern for the police. Extortionists track the social media activities of victims. “They monitor the comments, likes and shared posts of their target, usually men above 40 and with a stable income,” the official said.
“Cheaters monitor content viewed by a potential victim before it is passed on to them. They also check the condition of the victim, if he is unmarried, divorced or separated,” said the police source and added that the accused are fodder for those they feel are responsible for such acts. would be unsafe.
Hari, 48, working in a finance company, had received a message on Facebook on June 22 this year. Believing that a single woman was messaging him, he agreed to the video call and was duped to pay ₹34,000. An FIR was lodged after seven days.
“I actively use Facebook and when I received the text messages, the account seemed genuine and there was nothing suspicious about it,” Hari said.
Police said the number of victims was still relatively small, but higher than before the pandemic. “People come forward to complain on losing money, but do not register an FIR because of social stigma. “The fear of such calls coming again prevents them from taking action,” the source said.
Profile of accused
The police have arrested a gang leader from Mewat in several arrests in connection with sexual abuse. Saddam Hussein, 28, was arrested on 6 August in more than 50 extortion cases. Police said Aamir Khan was arrested from Alwar on July 28 for allegedly molesting a victim of Rs 12,42,850. The maximum number of arrests related to cyber fraud were made from Nuh, Bharatpur, Alwar, Mewat and Mathura. “The economy of these places is fueled by scams that mostly involve school dropouts in the twentieth century. The accused use Google Translator to communicate in English.
Obviously there are three levels of syndicates who run such rackets. “The first level arranges for the SIM card by using a fake government ID. The second level threatens the victim by impersonating as officers and the third level manages the bank accounts. The people involved either work from their village farms or from different areas on a fixed commission,” said the source.
(*Names changed to protect identity)