The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) has warned the public of a large-scale, organised extortion operation running through Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp.
SLCERT said the racket is believed to be operated from India. The Daily Mirror reported that investigators also suspect some Sri Lankans may now be involved, and that several victims have come forward in recent weeks.
How the approach works
The scheme begins with a single “Hi” sent over Instagram from an account using the photograph of an attractive young woman.
Before making contact, the operators add the target’s siblings, relatives and friends to their own follower lists, so the account appears to be a mutual acquaintance rather than a stranger.
Those who reply are tracked and approached again several days later, with the conversation built up gradually to establish trust. The scammers then send provocative images and press the target to reciprocate with similar photographs or to move to a WhatsApp video call. During the call, victims are encouraged to undress while the exchange is secretly recorded or screenshotted.
The recordings are then used as leverage: victims are told the material will be sent to their family members, relatives and friends unless a payment is made.
SLCERT has urged the public to treat messages, friend requests and calls from unfamiliar accounts and phone numbers with extreme caution.
An evolution of an earlier scam
The advisory is a more elaborate version of a scheme SLCERT flagged in May, when victims were cold-called on WhatsApp by an account showing a naked woman and the call was recorded without any prior contact.
The pattern now described involves sustained grooming and social-engineering of the victim’s own contact network before any explicit material is exchanged. In the earlier case, SLCERT advised victims to report incidents on its 101 hotline and not to pay.
Sources: Ada Derana; Daily Mirror.
