The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) has uncovered information about a large-scale organised online extortion scam being carried out through Meta platforms, including Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The scam is believed to be operated from India, with a number of Sri Lankan users reportedly falling victim to it.
According to SLCERT, scammers first study the target’s social media friend list. They then identify the target’s siblings, relatives and close friends and add their social media accounts to their own friend lists.
The next step involves sending a ‘Hi’ message through Instagram from a fake account using a photograph of an attractive young woman. After establishing contact, the scammers resume the conversation a few days later.
They then send nude photographs from the fake account and attempt to persuade the target to send similar images or share private acts during WhatsApp video calls.
The scammers subsequently screen-record the images or videos and threaten to send them to the victim’s family members, relatives and friends unless a large amount of money is paid as ransom.
SLCERT has urged the public to exercise extreme caution when responding to messages, friend requests and video calls from unknown accounts or phone numbers.
The public has also been advised not to share private or intimate footage in front of the camera with strangers during video calls.
