Sri Lanka, Aug. 4 -- Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (Sri Lanka CERT) has warned the public of a fresh surge in online extortion scams carried out through Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp, with several victims already reporting incidents in recent weeks.

According to Sri Lanka CERT, preliminary investigations suggest that a group of fraudsters believed to be operating from India may be behind many of the scams, although authorities also suspect that some Sri Lankans could now be involved.

The scammers typically initiate contact through social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook Messenger or Telegram, often using fake profiles posing as attractive young women. Victims are first sent a simple greeting before ...