Nude video call trick to extort money; fraudsters blackmail WhatsApp users in India

Ever since the COVID pandemic hit the world, nothing is the same. Everything from our lifestyles to daily routines and habits have undergone significant changes. Owing to this change, criminals have also evolved their methods of tricking innocent people and naturally there's a sharp uptick in the number of cybercrimes. The fraudsters are using new methods to lure victims and one that's been causing chaos in India right now is extortion from WhatsApp users using nude video call trick.

As India is reeling under the weight of the deadly second wave of COVID-19, some fraudsters are using these tense times to extort money from people. WhatsApp is widely used by users in India to communicate, through messages and video calls, but one video call might be enough to spoil your day and put you in a state of distress.

Sextortion cases on rise in India

Several instances of sextortion via WhatsApp video calls have come to light in India. Users are getting random video calls, accepting which is only the start of the troubles. Here's how things go.

A WhatsApp user will receive a video call from an unknown number. When the recipient accepts the call, a video of a nude girl is played on the screen and abruptly disconnected after a while. By this time, the fraudsters would have recorded the video call by using screen recording feature, which would give the impression that the recipient of the call was involved in phone sex.

The fraudsters use this video recording file to extort money from the victims. They threaten to share the video with friends and family and even upload it on various social media platforms to make it go viral. By using those threats and blackmail, they extort money.

The fraudsters go as far as to share their UPI IDs or bank details, where they demand the money to be sent. Anshul Saxena, cybersecurity analyst, shared screenshots of chats proving the extortion fraud.

"Such horrible attacks are rampant these days and whatsapp is an easy platform for such scamsters. Innocent people are framed, their careers & family relations are threatened to be destroyed and their hard earned money is looted," Saxena writes.

How to avoid getting scammed?

First and foremost, WhatsApp users should avoid accepting video calls from unknown numbers. But if your profession requires you accepting video calls from unknown numbers, you should avoid showing your face or cover the front camera. This way, the scammers wouldn't have anything to extort you against. This, however, applies to all and any platforms that support video calling.