A 23-year-old BCom graduate has been arrested by the Delhi Police for allegedly extorting money from a 35-year-old man after a late-night video call. The accused, identified as Ravi Kumar, a resident of east Delhi, was apprehended from his residence on Wednesday.
The Incident
The victim, a businessman from south Delhi, filed a complaint stating that he received a video call from an unknown number around midnight on October 10. The caller, a woman, allegedly engaged him in a conversation and later threatened to leak morphed clips of him unless he paid Rs 50,000. The victim transferred the amount through an online payment app.
Police Investigation
After the complaint, the Cyber Cell of Delhi Police launched an investigation. They traced the number to Ravi Kumar, who was using a fake identity. During interrogation, Kumar confessed to the crime, revealing that he had obtained the victim's number from a social media platform and used a female accomplice to make the call. The accomplice is currently at large.
Police have recovered the extorted money and the mobile phone used in the crime. Kumar, a BCom graduate, was unemployed and resorted to sextortion to make easy money. He has been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act.
Modus Operandi
The accused would randomly call men late at night, pretending to be a woman. After gaining their trust, he would record the conversation and later morph images to threaten them. He targeted individuals who were likely to be married or in respectable positions to maximize the chances of payment.
- He used a prepaid SIM card registered under a fake name.
- The accomplice's role was to make the initial call and engage the victim.
- The extorted money was split between the two.
Police Advisory
Delhi Police has urged citizens to be cautious while receiving calls from unknown numbers, especially late at night. They advise not to engage in conversation with strangers and to immediately report any suspicious activity. The Cyber Cell can be reached at 1930 for assistance.
This case highlights the growing trend of sextortion, where cybercriminals use social engineering to trap victims. Authorities recommend avoiding video calls with unknown persons and refraining from sharing personal information online.
