Maharashtra Cyber Department on Thursday issued advisory on Cyber Kidnapping, an extortion scheme wherein people receive phone calls telling them that their loved one has been kidnapped and will be killed or harmed if they do not follow perpetrator's demands. The accused then induce the victims to pay ransom.
Informing about the modus-operandi used by the fraudsters, the advisory stated, "Perpetrators befriend the children online and employ social engineering tricks. Perpetrators target children who are alone at home as their parents are working. Perpetrators use technology to spoof calls and morph images to carry out such crimes."
"Parents whose children are studying or staying abroad are mostly targeted by fraudsters. Perpetrators make parents fall prey to technological and psychological tricks. Perpetrator makes parents believe that their child has been kidnapped and then the perpetrator forces parents to pay a ransom either in cryptocurrency or via wire transfers. Eight such cases have been reported in the US and 15 in Australia last year," said a Maharashtra Cyber police officer.
Stating about the precautionary measures that needs to be taken by the citizens, the advisory reads, "Parents must keep a watch on their children's online activities and should not let the children go to unknown locations. Parents must check if the kidnapping calls are from their children's phone. Parents must educate children about good and bad use of technology and social media."
