Cyber Sextortion News: Police Issue High-Alert Advisory as Video Call Blackmail Gangs Busted Across States

New Delhi / Ranchi: Special cyber crime cells and state police headquarters have issued an urgent national advisory following the busting of multiple inter-state cyber sextortion syndicates targeting internet users across the country.

According to cyber cell investigators, these organized gangs operate through scripted video calls on messaging apps, capturing compromised footage within seconds and then demanding extortion money under threat of circulating the recordings to contacts and social media platforms.

Police Modus Operandi & Arrests:

In a coordinated raid spanning Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and the NCR region, cyber police arrested seven key operatives responsible for laundering extortion proceeds through fraudulent mule bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets. Over 45 mobile phones, fake SIM cards, and financial ledgers were seized during the operation.

What Police Advise Victims:

Law enforcement officials emphasize that victims of cyber sextortion must never transfer money, as extortionists invariably demand higher sums once compliance begins. Key directives issued by police include:

• Immediately block the offending numbers and take screenshots of chat logs and account handles as legal evidence.
• Dial the National Cyber Crime Reporting Helpline at 1930 or register an online complaint at cybercrime.gov.in immediately.
• Do not panic or delete message histories before lodging the official FIR under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66E/67 of the Information Technology Act.

Senior police officials confirmed that state cyber helplines provide complete identity protection for complainants to ensure safe and prompt legal redressal.