Sri Lanka's Computer Emergency Readiness Team has exposed a large-scale sextortion scheme allegedly operated from India, targeting users across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp through impersonation and blackmail tactics.

The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) has identified a widespread organised extortion operation targeting social media users across multiple platforms, with scammers believed to be operating from India. The scheme exploits social networks and intimate content to coerce victims into paying money under threat of exposure.

The scammers employ a methodical approach to build trust with their targets. They begin by adding the victim's relatives and friends to their fraudulent accounts, creating the appearance of a mutual acquaintance. Initial contact typically arrives through Instagram as a casual greeting from an account displaying an attractive woman's photograph. Once the victim responds, the fraudsters maintain contact over several days, leveraging the fake profile image to sustain the conversation and establish rapport.

The scheme escalates when scammers request intimate material. They send provocative photographs and push victims to exchange similar images or videos, often during WhatsApp video calls. Once they obtain compromising footage, the perpetrators use it as leverage in extortion demands, threatening to share the material with the victim's family and social circle unless payment is made.

SLCERT has advised the public to exercise caution when engaging with unknown social media accounts and telephone numbers. The agency particularly warns against accepting friend requests from strangers or responding to messages that encourage rapid personal relationship development online, as well as requests for intimate photographs or videos. The warning reflects escalating concerns about cyber-enabled fraud and blackmail facilitated through social media and messaging platforms.