NEW DELHI, Might 17: In a case of sextortion, a 75-year-old resident of Vasant Kunj was defrauded of ₹7.34 lakh by a gaggle of cybercriminals, one in every of whom posed as former Delhi Police commissioner Rakesh Asthana.The cyber scammers trapped Okay.N. Joshi utilizing the modus operandi of obscene video chat adopted by a name for extortion.Mr. Joshi, in his grievance with the Delhi Police, has stated that on January 15, he obtained a message saying “hey” from a lady who launched herself as Anjali Sharma.She then requested for a video name and appeared nude, he stated in his grievance, including, “In a couple of minutes, the decision was disconnected.” Two days later, on January 17, she shared a morphed obscene video of Mr. Joshi and threatened that if he didn’t pay ₹61,000, she would make it viral on social media. Mr. Joshi stated that he instantly blocked the quantity.Then on January 25, he missed a name from an unknown quantity. “I referred to as again on the quantity, and the individual informed me that he was Rakesh Asthana, Police Commissioner of Delhi. He stated that he obtained details about the video name with Anjali and requested me whether or not you may have contacted her,” Mr. Joshi informed the police.“I informed him that I by no means met her. He stated that Anjali is a drug smuggler whose precise identify is Neha and shared a replica of the FIR. He stated that the video goes viral on YouTube and gave me the variety of Dhyaneshwar Bajirao,” he stated.When Mr. Joshi contacted Mr. Bajirao, he demanded ₹21,500 and ₹43,000 by a digital pockets to delete these movies and guaranteed him that he would get again the cash.“This made me acquire some belief that they’re precise police. He additionally shared a replica of the e-mail stating that the video was deleted,” the FIR, registered on April 25, reads.Mr. Joshi thought his plight could be over after paying ₹64,500 in two instalments, however the fraudsters saved asking for extra money on one excuse or one other.The one who posed himself as Mr. Asthana and his gang cooked up weird tales round Ms. Anjali to extort as a lot cash as attainable from Mr. Joshi. He launched Mr. Joshi to Ajay Kumar Ghagat and informed him that Mr. Ghagat is an ACP and Mr. Joshi ought to pay him ₹2 lakh for “chai pani” (tea and snacks — a euphemism for a bribe).Then the ACP shared a video of a lifeless physique with Mr. Joshi and informed him that Ms. Anjali’s mom had dedicated suicide, so he ought to pay ₹4 lakh into her account.A police officer who was aware of the investigation stated that Mr. Joshi paid ₹7,34,500 in complete on three completely different dates.The police officer added, “In all these cybercrime, fraudsters use recorded obscene movies of girls which they play on a video name to folks. Initially, folks assume that they’ve a name from a lady. Within the recorded name, these girls ask folks to undress or take pleasure in obscene acts. After they try this, these criminals report it and share it with the folks threatening that in the event that they don’t pay cash, it will be made viral on social media.”In accordance with him, there have been circumstances by which folks merely obtained calls however refused to take pleasure in obscene acts. “Even then, they recorded the video of such folks, morphed it and made it obscene. They shared it again with folks asking them to pay. In any other case, they might make it viral on social media,” he stated.“They use the identify of senior law enforcement officials to threaten folks. In some circumstances, they dressed as cops and made video calls asking them to pay big cash,” he added. The police have launched a probe hoping to get some breakthrough very quickly.Mr. Asthana retired because the Delhi Police commissioner in July 2022. (Companies)
