Man loses ₹1 lakh in online honey trap scam

A 25-year-old man from Asifnagar was duped of ₹1 lakh in an online honey trap and sextortion fraud by cyber criminals who posed as senior officials and repeatedly blackmailed him.

The scam unfolded on August 24 when the victim received a video call from an unknown woman. During the call, she displayed obscene visuals and secretly captured his photos. Soon afterwards, fraudsters impersonating a senior police officer and a ‘YouTube’ representative contacted him, threatening to circulate the alleged video unless he pays for its deletion.

Fearing defamation, the victim initially transferred ₹8,500. However, the extortion continued, with the fraudsters demanding more money under constant threats. Over a series of transactions through UPI, he ended up paying amounts of ₹8,000, ₹17,000, ₹29,500, ₹27,500 and smaller sums, amounting to ₹1 lakh in total.

Following a complaint, a case was booked by the cyber crime wing of the Hyderabad police and investigation was initiated.

The police advised citizens have been advised not to accept video calls from unknown numbers, as fraudsters often use them to record obscene visuals without consent. They also warned that criminals may impersonate police officers or officials using fake WhatsApp profiles and photographs. Officials stressed that victims should never panic if threatened with morphed or fabricated videos and must avoid transferring money to unknown accounts. Instead, they should immediately report such incidents on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) or by dialling 1930.