Sri Lanka CERT has warned of a renewed wave of sextortion scams targeting social media users through platforms including Instagram, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, following complaints from several victims.
According to CERT, information gathered from recent complaints suggests that a group of scammers believed to be operating from India may be behind the scheme.
The scammers initially approach potential victims through social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook Messenger and Telegram before moving conversations to WhatsApp video calls. They then attempt to obtain intimate images, videos or compromising material that can later be used to demand money.
CERT said several recent victims had initially been contacted through Instagram. Before approaching their targets, the scammers had allegedly added relatives, including siblings, to their social media networks, giving them a ready-made list of people to whom compromising material could later be sent.
In several cases, victims first received a simple “Hi” message from an account appearing to belong to a young woman. After conversations continued for several days, the account sent intimate images and subsequently invited the victims to join a WhatsApp video call.
During the video calls, victims were encouraged to expose themselves. The scammers allegedly captured screenshots or recordings and later threatened to circulate them among the victims’ relatives and friends or publish them on social media unless money was paid.
CERT said some victims who did not expose themselves during video calls were also subjected to blackmail using screenshots of messages exchanged during conversations.
In some cases, screenshots were first sent to victims’ siblings to demonstrate that the threats were genuine. Victims were then asked to make initial payments of Rs. 5,000 or Rs. 10,000 to prevent the material from being circulated. The demands subsequently escalated, with some victims being asked to pay as much as Rs. 100,000 at a time.
Several victims had approached Sri Lanka CERT for assistance only after they found themselves facing repeated demands for money despite having already made payments.
CERT urged social media users to exercise extreme caution when responding to messages, calls or video-call requests from unknown individuals, particularly when conversations involve requests for intimate images or video.
The agency had previously warned the public about similar scams in May.
