Karimnagar police bust Instagram honey-trap racket, couple held

Karimnagar rural police arrested a couple for allegedly honey-trapping youngsters and businessmen through social media, blackmailing nearly 100 victims using secretly recorded nude images and extorting large sums, including Rs 12 lakh from a single victim

Karimnagar: Karimnagar rural police arrested a couple for robbing large sums from youngsters and businessmen by honey trapping them.

According to the police, the couple, natives of Mancherial, had suffered losses in marble and interior works. In a bid to make easy money, they allegedly turned to honey trapping.

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After shifting to Karimnagar, the couple started staying in an apartment at Arepally. To lure youngsters and businessmen, they allegedly uploaded nude photographs, including individual nude photographs of the woman, on Instagram.

When victims contacted them, the couple invited them to their house and secretly captured their nude photographs. The duo then blackmailed them by threatening to circulate the images among their friends and relatives.

The police said the couple had blackmailed and collected money from about 100 persons. From one victim alone, they allegedly collected Rs 12 lakh, which was used to purchase a car, refrigerator, air conditioner, sofa and other household articles.

They later demanded another Rs 5 lakh from the same victim and allegedly threatened to kill him if he failed to arrange the amount. Fearing for his life, the victim informed his family members and lodged a complaint with Karimnagar rural police.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered and the couple was arrested near the cable bridge in Karimnagar town on Wednesday. A car, cash, mobile phones and a blank cheque were recovered from them.