Hyderabad: Some residents in the city have fallen prey to blackmail after they were lured into having nude video calls on WhatsApp.
After receiving such complaints, Cyberabad Police issued a public advisory urging citizens not to attend video calls from unknown numbers as they might fall in the trap of online fraudsters and could lose money.
The cyber-criminals lure men to appear naked in front of cameras and then record them to blackmail for money.
According to Cyberabad Police Commissioner, VC Sajjanar, the victims don’t realize that they are being trapped by cyber-criminals who collect their contact details from various dating apps using which they identify their social media accounts, their friends and family member’s details.
The police stated that they received several complaints during the lockdown period and even now complaints are increasing day by day, however, there are still people who do not file a complaint due to fear and social stigma.
One of the victims alleged that he was in a relationship with a woman through an online dating app who later turned out to be a man and started blackmailing him with his videos for ransom, said the police.
If you are a victim, or you know someone who needs help, you can lodge a complaint on the website: www.cybercrime.gov.in