Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
A 60-year-old retired man from Garkheda was blackmailed and lost Rs 14.66 lakh after falling prey to a cyber scam involving an obscene WhatsApp video call.
On March 23, he received a video call from an unknown number. A nude woman appeared on screen, and the call was secretly recorded. Soon after, he got threatening calls from people pretending to be police officers. They warned him the video would be made public and used to file a case unless he paid up. Scared and confused, the man transferred money in multiple transactions starting from Rs 21,000 and eventually totaling Rs 14.66 lakh. The fraudsters used fake names like Moni Patil, Hemant Malhotra, Arvind Singh, Kehar Nath, and Kajal Singh.
A case has been registered at Pundaliknagar Police Station. PI Krishna Shinde is leading the investigation.
A growing threat
Cybercriminals are using WhatsApp video calls to trap people. They record videos showing victims’ faces alongside obscene visuals and later use the footage to extort money.
Safety Tips:
• Don’t answer video calls from unknown numbers.
• Keep social media accounts private and avoid sharing personal photos.
• If targeted, do not panic or pay. Report the incident to the cyber police immediately.