The Delhi Police have uncovered a cyber-extortion racket and arrested two persons, including the alleged mastermind, in a case involving blackmail through obscene video calls. The investigation began after a complaint was filed by Ankit Kumar Kain, a resident of Shahdara, who fell victim to the scam, said the police.
According to the police, Kain met a woman named Nandini on the dating app QuakQuak. After exchanging WhatsApp numbers, she initiated a video call in a nude condition while recording Kain’s face. She later blackmailed him, threatening to leak the video unless he paid up. Fearing social humiliation, Kain transferred Rs 35,000 to a Bandhan Bank account provided by the blackmailer.
When she demanded more money, he filed a complaint on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP), said the police. Probing the transaction, police traced the money to a Bandhan Bank account opened in the name of Mangal Singh, a South Delhi resident, but operated by Shyam Singh from Rajasthan. Investigations revealed that Shyam Singh opened the account online using Mangal’s details.
The police said that the registered mobile number and email ID were linked to Shyam. Four mobile handsets used in the scam were recovered from Shyam’s possession. The ATM card and SIM linked to the account were handed over to another accused, Aamir, who remains at large. Mangal Singh was also arrested from his residence in Jhangola, Delhi. He disclosed that he met with the accused Shyam Singh through one person, namely Harjeet Singh alias Sonu.
Accused Shyam Singh offered him Rs. 10,000 in lieu of one bank account. Then the bank account of the accused Mangal got opened online by the accused Shyam Singh. Mangal has also given his ATM Card & cheque book of the said alleged bank account & SIM (registered in the alleged bank account) to the accused Shyam Singh. The accused Mangal received a commission of Rs. 6,000 online from Harjeet Singh alias Sonu and Rs. 4,000 in cash from accused Shyam Singh, said the police.
During the course of the interrogation, it was revealed that Shyam Singh encouraged the persons to open their accounts, and he opened the accounts of the persons in lieu of money. He opened a Bandhan bank account online and handed it over to co-accused Aamir. Further investigation is in progress, said the police
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