Woman gets extortion call seeking Rs 10 lakh for lost phone with sensitive data

Less than two months after a 45-year-old woman lost her mobile phone in a mall in Sector 51, she received a call from an unidentified man demanding ₹10 lakh for

Less than two months after a 45-year-old woman lost her mobile phone in a mall in Sector 51, she received a call from an unidentified man demanding ₹10 lakh for not misusing the content of her phone. The police said the woman had lodged a complaint on October 2 at Sector 50 police station but no progress was made in the matter, said the police.

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According to the police, the woman, a resident of Sector 57, lodged a complaint again on Saturday, alleging that she received a call from unidentified person asking her for money. She alleged that the man was asking her to pay ₹10 lakh, failing which he would publish her personal pictures, videos and other content on social media platforms.

KK Rao, commissioner of police, said that they registered a case under sections 384 (extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the India Penal Code(IPC) at Sector 50 police station. “The cyber crime team is investigating the case and the mobile number from which the call was received has been put on surveillance. The call details are being scanned to identify the suspect,” he said.

The police said the suspect had tried to negotiate money with the victim, who, in turn, reported the incident to the police after discussing it with her husband.

Rao said the victim had lost her mobile on September 27 in a mall and registered a complaint with the police regarding the matter. “The victim was shocked to receive the extortion call as there were personal pictures and other stuff stored in the mobile. Initially, she dismissed the call, thinking it was a prank but when the blackmailer started negotiating money, she discussed the matter with her family members and approached us,” he said.

Rao said they’re trying to find the culprit and have formed teams to be sent to the place from where the phone was stolen.

The police said a similar incident was reported in June 2017 when a Cyber Hub employee had received an extortion call demanding ₹50 lakh after he lost his mobile.