“Sextortion” is done in many ways like webcam hacking, phishing, and device hacking.
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Srinagar: There has been manifold increases in the number of online scams while direct “sextortion” to grab money from the people is taking a lead while the Cyber Police has urged people to remain cautious.
The way there is an increase in these crimes, it is not the end but a beginning. Many in J&K too have even lost their earnings even as the Cyber Police is chasing the scammers.
People around the world are getting trapped in cases of “sextortion”.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Whatsapp, and Twitter are most capable in this regard and have so far proved productive tools for the scammers.
In the latest scams, many people are using webcams for flirting and cybersex but sometimes people meeting online are not who they say they are.
People in the age group of 13-18 years have the highest chances of getting into this trap.
Even single persons of different age groups are vulnerable to fall prey to this trap.
“Sextortion” is done in many ways like webcam hacking, phishing, and device hacking.
Sextortion sends the adolescents into the high level of agony, which gets augmented day by day and compels them to even commit suicide.
Cyber Police officials said that in the “sextortion” cases, criminals befriend victims online by using a fake identity and then persuade them to perform sexual acts in front of their webcam, often by using an attractive woman to entice the victim to participate.
“These women may have been coerced into these actions using financial incentives or threats,” they said.
The Cyber Police officials said that criminals record the webcam videos and then threaten to share the images with the victim’s friends and family.
“This can make the victims feel extremely ashamed and embarrassed,” they said. “Both men and women can be victims of this crime, either by being blackmailed or by being coerced into carrying out sexual acts.”
The Cyber Police officials said that the best way to stop oneself from becoming a victim was to be very careful about who one befriends online, especially if one is considering sharing anything intimate with them.
They said there was nothing to get panicked about.
Cyber Police Station Kashmir has registered several FIRs in connection with “sextortion”.
“Besides, FIRs, we have issued advisory earlier and are making people aware about this scam,” Superintendent of Police, Cyber Kashmir, Iftikhar Talib told Greater Kashmir.
Ways to Avoid
· People must secure their social media accounts and should not click on the unwanted links in their mailbox sent by some strangers.
· If someone is a victim of “sextortion”, then they should not pay what they are demanded and should instead go to the Police and file a case.
· Don’t delete anything, explain the entire story to the Police officer.
· If ever you receive the video calls from the suspected person, then don’t pick it up, just block.
· Don’t allow the untrustworthy app to access your phone’s file managers.
· Don’t share your OTPs and passwords with anyone, and choose strong passwords to secure your privacy.
· Cover the cameras of your devices, including computers and webcams, with the help of tapes, stickers, or with your thumb.
· Set all of your social media accounts to private.
· Never log on to online dating sites.
· Most of the “sextortion” cases popped up among those who logged in to online dating sites.
· Never ever send compromising images of yourself to anyone.
