Beware! ‘Nude’ baits may leave you stripped

Sitting several thousands of miles away from potential victims, gangs in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are using women to honey trap men who are lured with nude video calls from unknown numbers.

Hyderabad: With more people using the internet and many more still working from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic, fraudsters are getting cunningly innovative to trap the gullible. And the webs being laid out are well-spun with psychological tricks used along with sex as bait.

Sitting several thousands of miles away from potential victims, gangs in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are using women to honey trap men who are lured with nude video calls from unknown numbers. Once the preliminary introduction is over and if the target responds positively, the caller undresses. According to the police, once the woman on the other end manages to persuade the victim also to get nude, the gangs record the video.

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These videos are then used to threaten and blackmail the victim saying they would be posted on social media or YouTube if the victim fails to pay the money demanded, said the police, who have been prompted by the rising number of such incidents to issue an advisory asking the public not to attend video calls from unknown numbers.

“This kind of fraud is now commonly found in online dating platforms and video call services, which have seen a surge in users during the pandemic,” Cyberabad Commissioner VC Sajjanar said in the advisory issued here on Tuesday.

Police said the crooks were also collecting contact details from various dating applications and using these details to identify social media accounts, friends and also family members. In most cases, they were targeting reputed and financially sound people who can afford to shell out big sums.

“During the lockdown, a few cases were reported. But later too, cases are getting reported, but many are going unreported because of stigma and fear,” officials said.

Beware of honey traps

Don’ts

Attend video calls from unknown numbers
Post personal details on online dating apps
Use suspicious dating applications

If trapped, immediately lodge a complaint on www.cybercrime.gov.in

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