46-year-old Mahim resident becomes victim of sextortion scam

In a disturbing development from Mahim, a 46-year-old software programmer became the victim of a sextortion scam, losing ₹21 lakh to fraudsters who threatened to release an obscene video of him on social media. The programmer, who resides with his parents, wife, and two daughters, initially encountered the scammer through a seemingly innocent Facebook friend request. The person, who posed as a schoolteacher named 'Poonam Sharma' from Delhi, quickly moved their conversation to more personal communications, setting the stage for the extortion.

The Trap is Set

The scam escalated when 'Poonam Sharma' video-called the programmer while he was in his bathroom, during which she began to undress and then abruptly ended the call. She later messaged him, falsely claiming that she had recorded an obscene video of him and had uploaded it on social media. In a state of panic, the programmer pleaded with her not to share the video publicly. However, the situation worsened when he received a call from a man claiming to be Dinesh Kumar from the Delhi Cyber Crime Branch, who informed him that the video had gone viral and that he might face arrest.

The Demands Begin

Under the guise of Kumar, the fraudster coerced the victim into making over 20 payments totaling ₹21.40 lakh from June to July to have the video removed. The fraudster further manipulated the programmer by claiming that 'Poonam Sharma' had committed suicide and left a note blaming him, increasing the urgency and fear surrounding the demands for money. The scammer claimed that additional payments were necessary to manage potential charges by handling the doctor, police, and Sharma’s relatives.

Authorities Step In

Upon realizing that the demands were never-ending and that he had been duped, the victim discontinued the payments and approached the police. A case was subsequently registered at the Central Cyber Police Station, where officers are actively investigating the complex layers of this sextortion scheme. The case highlights the rising issue of digital extortion and underscores the need for heightened awareness and caution among social media users.