Shocking 'Sextortion' Case: A Woman's Video Call, Clothes Off, Rs 6.5 Lakh Gone

Sextortion cases are on rise these days. Many cases, where men fall prey to fraud online video calls, and end up losing lakhs, have surfaced in the past few months. Days ago, a Gurugram man was extorted lakhs of rupees after he contacted a 'male friend' on a gay dating site and went to meet him in Gurgaon. Today, another case, where a man was given a video call by a woman, has come to light.

A 39-year-old man from Maharashtra's Thane city working as a corporate consultant has allegedly lost Rs 6.50 lakh after being lured by a woman on a video call, police said on Wednesday.

Whatsapp Video Call

As per the victim's complaint, he received a WhatsApp video call from a number on March 17, 2023, where a woman spoke to him. In the midst of the call, she suddenly undressed herself following which the man immediately disconnected the call, an official from Kasarwadavali police station said.  After some time, the man received a video of the woman and some screen shots wherein he was seen conversing with her. He then immediately deleted the contents.

Extortion Call From 'Commissioner'

The next day, the man received a call from an unknown number wherein the caller posed as the police commissioner of Delhi, the official said quoting the complaint. The caller informed the man that a woman was running a sex racket and the police while making efforts to arrest her came across the man's video which was about to be uploaded on social media.

The caller asked the man to contact a person referred by him if he wanted to stop the video from being uploaded on social media, the official said.
When the man called that person, he allegedly demanded Rs 50,000 from him. The man made the payment out of the fear of being defamed, the official said.
Later, different persons called the man between March 18 and 25 and allegedly extorted a total of Rs 6.50 lakh from him, he said.

Delhi Gay Sextortion Case

According to the police, a new modus operandi had recently come to their notice. The perpetrators create fake profiles on the `Grindr` app and engage in friendly chats with their victims. The accused entice the victims to participate in sexual activities and invite them to specific locations. Once the victims are in compromising positions, the co-accused forcefully enter the premises. They proceed to create a nude video of the victim and then threaten to share it with his friends and family members.

Due to the fear of social stigma, the victims succumb to the demands of the accused and transfer money into the accounts provided by them. "In the first incident, the complainant informed the police that he had encountered an individual named Rahul on the social media app `Grindr`. Rahul enticed the victim to meet him at Vinobapuri Metro Station on April 24. Upon reaching the metro station, Rahul guided the complainant to a room located in the Sriniwaspuri area, where the trap had already been set," said Rajesh Deo, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Once inside the room and engaged in conversation, two individuals abruptly stormed in and began recording a video of the complainant.