Pune doctor loses Rs 21k to cyber fraudsters in ‘sextortion’ case
Online fraudsters allegedly forced a doctor working with a well-known hospital in Pune’s Katraj to pay Rs 21,000 in a case of “sextortion”, police said. The victim lodged a first information report (FIR) in this regard at the cyber police station of Pune city police Saturday.
According to the police, the victim, a 36-year-old doctor, received a video call on his WhatsApp number while he was on duty at the hospital around 2.30 pm on April 28. On answering the call, he saw a woman removing her clothes and hung up. However, the fraudster took screenshots of the doctor.
Soon the accused demanded money from him by threatening to circulate the images on social media. The doctor was asked to scan a certain QR code and pay the money online, the police said. As per the FIR, the doctor paid Rs 21,000 to the fraudsters before approaching the police.
Officers have booked the unidentified accused under sections 385 (extortion), 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under sections of the Information Technology Act.
