Kukatpally man accused of blackmailing victims with intimate images

Police arrested a 23-year-old Kukatpally man for allegedly using fake Facebook and Instagram profiles to honey-trap victims and blackmail them with intimate images. Investigators say he operated 27 profiles, interacted with over 1,000 people and allegedly extorted money from multiple victims online

Hyderabad: A 23-year-old man was arrested for allegedly honey-trapping people through fake Facebook and Instagram profiles created in women’s names and blackmailing them with their nude photographs and videos to extort money.

According to the police, the suspect, Kondabhattula Pavan Kumar of Kukatpally, allegedly operated 13 fake Instagram accounts and 14 Facebook profiles, mostly using photographs of a woman from Kolkata under the name ‘Chandana’. Police said he had interacted with more than 1,000 people, of whom 82 had shared intimate photographs or videos with the fake profiles.

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“Pavan Kumar would befriend victims online, engage them in sexual conversations and persuade them to share nude photographs and videos. He stored the material on multiple phones and social media accounts before posing as the woman’s brother and threatening to make the material public or have his supposed sister file a police complaint,” said DCP (Charminar) Kiran Khare.

Using this modus operandi, he allegedly extorted Rs 4 lakh from a friend from his diploma course. He also allegedly cheated a software employee of Rs 7 lakh by promising investment returns. Two other victims were allegedly extorted of Rs 6.8 lakh and Rs 7 lakh, the official added.

The police have alerted the woman from Kolkata whose photographs were allegedly misused by the suspect.

The victims included doctors, businessmen, lecturers and private employees, while 24 victims were from other States and nine were from abroad, police said.

The accused allegedly used three mobile numbers and two WhatsApp accounts. The police seized three mobile phones, an HP laptop and a 16 GB pen drive.