Online extortion scam: Bengaluru senior loses Rs 1.7 lakh while chatting with Facebook acquaintance

Sajan, a 69-year-old from Gunjur, fell victim to an online scam after a Facebook chat led to video threats. Coerced by extortionists, he lost Rs 1.5 lakh to prevent an obscene video release. Seeking authorities' help, he filed a complaint against the cybercrime, currently under investigation.

A 69-year-old man, identified as Sajan for anonymity, residing near Whitefield in Gunjur, has recently fallen prey to a distressing online scam, resulting in a loss of more than Rs 1.5 lakh. The retired private firm employee shared his chilling experience, urging caution to others after being ensnared in a web of deceit spun by an unknown Facebook acquaintance.

Sajan's ordeal began innocuously enough when he engaged in conversation with a certain user, 'Komal Sharma' on the social media platform. Their chats took an alarming turn on November 21 when he received persistent video calls from Komal. Initially hesitant, Sajan disconnected the first call, but the relentless ringing pushed him to answer, only to be greeted by a naked woman behaving rudely on the other end.

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Alarmed and uncomfortable, Sajan swiftly ended the call, warning the caller against further attempts. His plea was met with a chilling response as the woman threatened to expose a recorded video of their interaction on social media unless a sum of money was paid.

Dismayed and intimidated, Sajan blocked the caller on messenger, hoping to sever ties. However, his peace was short-lived as he soon received menacing calls from two strangers, demanding Rs 76,500 to maintain their silence regarding the video. Fearing disgrace and humiliation, Sajan, under duress, complied with their demand, transferring the amount to an account provided by an individual named Khadeem.

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The nightmare didn't end there. Another caller demanded Rs 94,000, leveraging the threat of exposing the compromising video. Fearing further torment, Sajan, feeling trapped and afraid, succumbed to the coercion and transferred the sum once more to a person identified as Manake Anjidda.

Feeling increasingly helpless and tormented by these faceless extortionists, Sajan ultimately decided to seek help from the authorities, complaining about the Indian Penal Code and the Cyber Crime Prevention Act. While sharing his traumatic experience, Sajan expressed his inability to discern the true nature of the video as he believed his photo was manipulated obscenely. An investigating police official confirmed the ongoing probe into the matter, assuring further inquiries into the fraudulent activities that prey upon unsuspecting individuals.