A 70-year-old retired government employee from the South Dinajpur district of West Bengal fell victim to an elaborate blackmail scam involving his morphed image, losing ₹6.5 lakh of his savings over the past month.
The senior citizen, who resides in an area under the Hill police station, filed a complaint at the cybercrime police station in Balurghat. Authorities have since launched an investigation into the matter.
According to The Telegraph, law enforcement officials report that the scam was initiated when the victim answered a video call from an unfamiliar contact. The call connected him with a female caller he didn’t know. Later, he received another video call displaying a morphed image that showed him with the woman, which was the first step in an elaborate extortion scheme.
The woman then contacted him, demanding money and threatening to release the doctored images on social media if he did not comply. Initially, the elderly man refused to pay. However, the fraudsters escalated their tactics, with accomplices posing as police officers.
They falsely informed the victim that the woman had attempted suicide and was hospitalised in Delhi, pressuring him to pay for her medical treatment to avoid legal consequences.
Fearing arrest, the victim succumbed to the threats and transferred approximately ₹6.5 lakh in multiple transactions. When the extortionists continued to demand more money, he confided in his wife, who quickly recognised the scam and convinced him to report the incident to the authorities.
This case highlights the different tactics used by scammers to lure victims. Their tactics have evolved significantly as seen in this case. As soon as the victim denied the scammers’ request, they tried to pose as police officials and even talked about the girl committing suicide. All these techniques are used to garner an emotional response from the victim instead of a logical one.
Public awareness coupled with government intervention could counter the rising menace of digital scams. People must understand that no government official will investigate on a video call. Indian citizens should also exercise unsolicited calls and avoid sharing personal details online.
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