Police seeking public cooperation to bust online blackmail racket in Tinsukia

Digital Desk: Tinsukia police are focused on capturing the culprits of internet fraud and blackmailing, who are primarily young ladies who prey on the naive public and blackmail them after posting pornographic movies to the victims' mobile phones. 

According to Debojit Deuri, Superintendent of Tinsukia Police, roughly 22 cases have been reported in Tinsukia district alone, and the racket has recently grown tendrils throughout Assam. Deori would not rule out the involvement of strange ladies in the recent suicide instances recorded in Assam, urging people not to respond to unknown 'video calls' from young women that may lead to online traps.

"It all starts with a video call where a beautiful woman appears on screen, who after few conversations, displays her pictures without clothes. The video caller and fraudsters create fake videos in a sequence involving the victim using sophisticated devices within a short period of time. The caller also hacks all the contact numbers stored in the victim's mobile phone," the SP explained.

He went on to say that with that footage, the caller begins blackmailing the victim and threatens to post the video on social media until the victim pays. 

He added that the caller continues changing her SIM card when a person is caught. Out of embarrassment, the victims do not disclose the information with their family members, and they only approach authorities when the extortion money exceeds their financial means.

Deori believes that the threat may be mitigated by either a mass awareness campaign regarding smartphone usage, particularly among elderly people who are unfamiliar with online systems, or by telling the police about the call data at an early stage. He did not, however, rule out the use of VPN (Virtual Private Network) in the operation. 

According to Deori, each person has apparently been extorted between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 23 lakh. He also urged ordinary people to create a robust social platform to provide information that could aid in identifying the perpetrators.