Cyber-extortionists enter Karachi, demand ransom in cryptocurrency
At present, price of one Bitcoin equals PKR11,32,850.
KARACHI (Dunya News) – An international group of ‘cyber-extortionists’ is reportedly active in Karachi demanding extortion money from the locals in digital currency, reported Dunya News on Saturday.
As per details garnered, the blackmailers are making threatening calls and forwarding messages through WhatsApp [a freeware and cross-platform messaging and Voice over IP service] while portraying themselves as members of international terrorist organization. The scammers demand extortion money in Bitcoin [a crypto-currency worldwide payment system].
It has been learned that Sindh Assembly’s lawmakers hailing from Hyderabad, Sajawal and Thatta areas have received threatening WhatsApp calls demanding extortion money in Bitcoin. Sources privy to law enforcement agencies stated that all calls had been made from computer-generated numbers having tendency to change numerical values after every call. As the cyber-crime wing further probed the issue, it was unearthed that IPs of different countries were used to send extortion messages.
Ostensibly, it seemed that calls had been made to lawmakers only but later it was learnt that people from other segments of society including doctors, lawyers and businessman had also received similar threats.
At present, price of one Bitcoin equals PKR11,32,850.
