Hyderabad: The city police on Tuesday appraised the public about a new way through which gangsters from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan are cheating the public by blackmail. In this method, the accused would make a woman make a video call on Whatsapp to some random number and if anyone picks up they would undress in response to lure the victim.
Once the victim falls prey to their bait, they record the video and threaten to post it on social media if the victim doesn't pay up. This kind of fraud is commonly found on online dating platforms and video call services which have seen a surge in users during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Generally, these crooks collect the victim's contact details from various dating applications and identify their social media accounts, and details of their friends and family members. In most cases they target reputable and financially sound persons who can afford to pay ransom.
Hence, the police advise netizens to not pick up video calls from unknown numbers, don't reveal data on social media apps, and if stuck in such a situation approach the police for help.