Photo: Pixabay
Photo: Pixabay
Residents of Durban are being warned to stay vigilant on social media after multiple reports of extortion have been shared with the relevant authorities. A number of complainants have detailed how they were targeted by the “porn scam”, which in some cases, culminated in criminals exposing nude pictures of the victims to their children.
The sick racket is carried out through Facebook, and then WhatsApp. The scammers will send FB friend requests to those who live local to Durban, before striking up a conversation that eventually migrates to the messaging app. The modus operandi then sees the chat turn sexual, with targets encouraged to share their nudes.
The shady figures behind the screen have coaxed their unassuming “love interests” into sharing information regarding their location, businesses and personal details. Once they’ve secured that leverage – as well as the racy pictures – the person carrying out the scam will then demand a huge amount of money, or else they’ll leak the nude selfies online.
The case has affected both men and women in the city:
The group behind the “porn scam” are all believed to be of Indian origin, and operate in a distinct fashion. They use the same social media channels (Facebook and WhatsApp), acquire the same set of personal details in order to aid their extortion bid, and all of their reported targets are between the ages of 22 and 26.
Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) confirmed that the porn scam is a legitimate threat, and exposed the dangers of revealing too much to strangers online. What may seem like an obvious hazard to some internet users simply doesn’t register with others, and the security team have issued a warning to locals in Durban.
“Rusa is currently dealing with three complainants who have been extorted for large amounts of cash by people that they have befriended on Facebook. As well as the man from Phoenix, both of the women we spoke to paid large amounts of money and live in fear of their safety. Investigations are continuing.”