TENKASI: Cyber crimes that involve north Indian conmen -- who befriend people through Facebook, collect their phone numbers, make nude-video calls to their WhatsApp and demand money to delete the recorded call -- have increased across southern districts, said cyber crime police on Thursday.
"The victims included doctors, police officials, government staff, IT professionals, and even daily wagers. Both men and women have been targeted by members of their opposite sex. Recently, more than 100 incidents were reported in southern districts. However, very few people filed a complaint with us. Recently, a male doctor paid Rs 2 lakh to a gang of cybercriminals from north India to prevent them from releasing a recorded video call in which he masturbated to a naked woman on the other end.
When they continued to demand money, we advised the doctor to file a complaint, which he refused. Another government employee's video of online intimacy was sent to his friends via Facebook Messenger despite him paying Rs 13,000 to the conmen. Following this, we gave him counselling to prevent him from taking any extreme step," said a police officer of the Cyber Crime Wing.
Speaking to TNIE, an IT professional, a native of Theni said a woman named Bhavani Mishra contacted him through Facebook Messenger stating that she wants to discuss a business model with him. "She talked in a decent manner for three days. However, she unexpectedly made a video call to me on WhatsApp and I fell prey to it. Following this, a north Indian man demanded I pay Rs 18,000 to prevent them from circulating my video among my Facebook friends.
He also took my wife's photo from my social media account and threatened to morph it. I sent the money he demanded. However, I continue to get calls from their team demanding more money. But I do not want to file a complaint," he said. A daily wager from Tenkasi said his video was circulated among his Facebook friends before he could arrange the Rs 10,000 that the cybercriminals demanded from him.
Speaking to TNIE, an official from Tenkasi cybercrime police said the victims should come forward to file a police complaint. "People who use social media should not fall prey to such crime. Those who are aware of this crime should make every one of their family and friends aware of it," said the police.