Mumbai: A senior citizen from Cuffe Parade has reportedly fallen victim to sextortion, losing over Rs. 29 lakhs. The incident began when the victim received a friend request from an unknown individual who later initiated a video call. During the call, the woman appeared unclothed and encouraged the victim to do the same. The interaction was recorded and used to intimidate the victim into making payments.
According to the South Regional Division of Cyber Police, the complainant, 66, who operates a pharmacy in South Mumbai, was befriended by a woman named “Pooja Sharma.” Initially showing interest in the victim, she prompted him to share his contact number to further escalate their conversation.
After a brief text conversation, the discussion moved to a WhatsApp call, during which Sharma was allegedly naked. She reportedly asked the victim to undress, but the call was disconnected within seconds. When the victim attempted to contact her, the phone was switched off until the next day when Sharma called back from a different number. During this conversation, she claimed to have recorded the victim's video, in which he was sitting naked in an obscene position, threatening to “make the video go viral” across social media platforms if he did not comply with her demands.
The first demand was for Rs. 50,000 to prevent the video from being shared on social media, which the victim paid out of concern for his reputation. A few weeks later, he received another call from an unknown number, with the caller claiming to be a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) from Delhi. The so-called DCP informed the victim that an FIR had been filed against him by a woman named Pooja Sharma for abetment to suicide, alleging that she had committed suicide.
The DCP then asked if the victim wanted to “settle” the case by providing compensation to Sharma’s family for their loss. Ultimately, the victim transferred over Rs. 29.28 lakhs through 33 transactions to the DCP, but the demands continued. He later consulted a lawyer friend, who, after hearing the entire story, declared it a bogus case of cybercrime.
The victim then approached the police and registered an FIR against unknown individuals, prompting the police to begin an investigation.
