Cybercriminals' New Scam: Targeting Porn Viewers

Cyber criminals have devised a new tactic to trap people. The fraudsters are using fake emails and phone calls in the name of the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) to intimidate their victims.

Jodhpur: Cyber criminals have devised a new tactic to trap people. They are using fake emails and phone calls in the name of the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) to intimidate victims. Posing as CBI officers, they claim that a person’s Google history reveals excessive pornography consumption and that an arrest warrant is being issued. To avoid arrest, victims are pressured into paying the sums demanded by these criminals. The fake email IDs used by the criminals closely resemble those of the CBI and the police. By the time the victim realises what’s happening, the money has already been withdrawn from their bank account.

Data Leaks Through Multiple Avenues

Data breaches are occurring at multiple levels. If you have accessed your ID on another computer or mobile device or logged into a website using Google Mail, there is a risk of data leakage.

Possible Countermeasures

• Immediately report the cyber fraud by calling 1930.
• Immediately file a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Portal.
• This portal requires information to be filled in various categories, including financial fraud, women-child-related fraud, and others.
• File a report at the local cyber crime police station.

Case 1: An individual receives a CBI email tracing Google history that claims excessive pornography consumption. A PDF attachment with a warrant is included, bearing a stamp resembling that of a government office. The individual is instructed to appear at an office in Delhi.

Case 2: A shopkeeper receives a phone call from someone claiming to be an intelligence inspector. The caller states that the mobile history reveals consistent pornography viewing, threatening legal consequences and demanding an appearance in a Delhi court.

Expert View

Cybercriminals send numerous phishing emails simultaneously. Two or three out of a hundred people fall prey. They mostly target older people who lack technological knowledge. When a cyber fraud trend is exposed, they change their tactics every six months to a year.

• Anurag Mathur, Cyber Security Engineer