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‘Suicidal thoughts strike every day’: India’s sextortion scourge
Bikaner and Sidhi, India –Shyam, a truck driver in northern India’s city of Prayagraj, had not had sex with his pregnant wife for six months when he saw an advertisement on the Telegram messaging app promising to make his fantasies come true.
Shyam, 44, was impressed by the ad’s formal tone and eagerly followed a link to a pink-themed website, where he was asked to pay a registration fee of 4,000 Indian rupees ($48.28).Shyam made the payment at his local bank and returned home excitedly to access the website, only to be asked to pay an additional 6,000 rupees ($72.44) for every session of cyber-sex. He paid the sum and was told to wait for a video call during the next 24 hours.
A few hours later, Shyam received a video call from an unknown number. Removing his shirt, Shyam stood in front of his phone’s camera and answered. After a few seconds, a naked young woman touching herself appeared on the screen. Then the call was cut short.As Shyam tried to figure out what had happened, he received a WhatsApp message from the same number along with a recording of the video call. The message came with a threat: Deposit 15,000 rupees ($181) to this bank account within 24 hours or this video will go viral.
Shyam estimated it would take him 10-12 months to save up that amount with his monthly salary of 20,000 rupees ($241), which is barely enough to support his family of four.
“My finances were already running dry, so I had to use the money I was saving for my son’s tuition,” Shyam told Al Jazeera, speaking on the condition that he be referred to by a pseudonym.
“My relief was short-lived as the payment was followed by calls and SMS messages blackmailing me to deposit 30,000 rupees ($362.14), which I eventually did by borrowing from friends.”
Shyam is among the growing number of victims of online sextortion in India.Once a phenomenon associated with public figures in Bollywood and politics, such scams have become more prevalent across all sections of Indian society alongside the ubiquitous rise of smartphones and fast internet.
While statistics on online sextortion scams are not available, 52,974 cybercrimes were reported in India in 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), up from 44,735 cases in 2019.A total of 13,196 of those cases were registered under Section 67 of The Information Technology Act, 2000, which penalises the publication or distribution of obscene material in electronic form.
Many experts believe online sextortion is vastly underreported due to data-collection constraints and the social stigma of coming forward. – Al Jazeera
“The cases of this fraud saw a spike during the COVID-19 lockdowns as most people were confined at home working and got exposed to the internet more than ever before,” Rakshit Tandon, a cybersecurity expert based in Noida, told Al Jazeera.
“Internet penetration has also increased as smartphones and the internet reach lower-income groups.”
India has more than 932 million internet users, more than any other country apart from China, according to Statista. Statista estimates that figure will grow to more than 1.5 billion by 2040.People who are lonely or stuck in sexless relationships, young adults desperate to lose their virginity and older people with no outlet for desires are among those vulnerable to sextortion. People with poor digital literacy are considered especially at risk.
Scammers typically use fake personas to target their victims through social media, dating apps, spam text messages and online advertisements.The scam often begins with a friend request or message from a fake profile of an attractive female. Potential targets’ friends are also often contacted to use for the eventual blackmail. Before the scammers approach their target, their social media profile may be examined for evidence that they enjoy a flashy lifestyle.
Another common method involves posting links to scam websites and social media accounts under popular reels and videos on Instagram and Facebook, in Telegram groups, or on popular websites and forums. The scam websites often go to significant lengths to appear professional. In some cases, a pornographic video or sex worker is used to entice the person to perform sexual acts.
“The website pattern contributes to the formation of an authentic impression with a formal tone that is seen as professional,” Natwar, a 26-year-old admitted cyber-fraudster in Mewat, eastern Rajasthan, told Al Jazeera, asking to only be identified by his first name.
For would-be scammers in undeveloped regions such as Mewat, where the illiteracy rate is more than 30 percent, building an entire website can be difficult and time-consuming.Calling a target directly via WhatsApp or engaging them on social media is often more appealing.
“The chances of turning every attempt into a success are roughly the same in all techniques,” said Natwar, who has been arrested several times for cyber-fraud.
“Once we’re successful, we’ll make sure to save the naked photographs and screen record the video, which is blank from our end and lasts only six to 10 seconds, and cut the call.”
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
