A disturbing new WhatsApp scam is making the rounds in Pakistan, where cybercriminals are using short video calls to record users and later blackmail them with fake, edited clips.
In most cases, the victim receives a call from a foreign number—often posing as a woman. The video call lasts only a few seconds, often with nothing visible on the screen. Soon after, the victim receives an edited video showing their face combined with explicit content, creating the illusion of inappropriate behavior. Scammers then demand money, threatening to share the video publicly if the victim doesn’t comply.
One such victim, a video editor in Lahore, shared how he was targeted late at night and later blackmailed for Rs. 25,000. Fortunately, he refused to pay and reported the incident to Pakistan’s National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), where he found many others facing the same issue.
Cybersecurity experts warn that these scams are growing. Besides blackmail, scammers also pose as bank agents or even claim a family member has been kidnapped—using personal info pulled from social media.
Experts urge users to:
- Avoid unknown video calls
- Adjust WhatsApp settings to mute calls from unknown numbers
- Report all incidents to NCCIA immediately via their website or helpline
