“We are Lawrence Bishnoi’s men… If you don’t immediately transfer ₹10 crore worth of cryptocurrency, your family will be finished.” – A Delhi-based businessman was terrified after receiving this threatening WhatsApp call. Along with the threat, the caller even sent a QR code to transfer the cryptocurrency.
Since gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has been openly threatening Bollywood actor Salman Khan, the businessman believed it might really be Bishnoi’s gang and almost proceeded to send the crypto. However, at the last moment, following advice from his well-wishers, he contacted the police.
Cyber Cell’s investigation revealed that the calls actually originated from Thailand. On September 11, Delhi police arrested three people at the airport. Among them was Sumit, an alumnus of the London School of Economics, along with Satish and Prince. All three were Indians, but were operating the extortion racket from abroad.
The New Modus Operandi
With growing awareness and government action, traditional money-transfer-based cybercrimes have become harder to execute. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), set up to block fraudulent transactions, has so far helped recover and return nearly ₹5,000 crore to victims. Once a suspicious transaction is reported, money transfers can be frozen before they reach criminals.
This tightening of the system has forced cybercriminals to shift to cryptocurrency payments via QR codes.
Why Cryptocurrency?
- Crypto wallet transactions are extremely difficult to trace.
- Even if the wallet address is identified, companies rarely disclose the owner’s details.
- Transactions move through multiple layers, making it nearly impossible to track the final recipient.
Because of these challenges, gangs are now increasingly demanding extortion money through crypto QR codes.
Police Warning
- Businessmen and entrepreneurs are the primary targets.
- Nobody should panic and make payments.
- If a threatening call is received, it must be reported immediately to cybercrime police.
- Never pay in cryptocurrency under any circumstances.
According to cyber forensic experts: “Such extortion cases may increase. People must remain alert. The only way to protect yourself is to report these incidents to the police without delay.”
👉 Experts say this is not an isolated case but a new tactic by cybercriminals who are trying to stay ahead of law enforcement.
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