Man befriends women with fake profiles, blackmails them; nabbed

The Cyber Police of Delhi’s West district have arrested a cybercriminal from Lucknow who allegedly posed as a woman on social media to befriend other females, obtain their private photos and videos and later blackmail them for money.According to police, the accused, identified as Manoj Verma, a resident of Lucknow (UP), was apprehended following a coordinated operation conducted by the Cyber Police Station, West District.

The police said a complaint was received on September 21, from a woman who alleged that an unknown person befriended her on WhatsApp and Facebook using fake female identities.

After gaining her trust, he induced her to share private photographs and videos and subsequently began threatening to make the content viral unless she paid him, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Darade Sharad Bhaskar in a statement said.

Despite making payments, the blackmailing continued. Acting on her complaint, a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at Cyber, West District, and an investigation was initiated.

During the investigation, the police team analyzed UPI transaction trails, Google and GPay responses, subscriber details, and IP logs linked to the phone number used by the accused. This led to the identification of Manoj Verma.

A raid was subsequently conducted in Lucknow in coordination with local police, resulting in his arrest.

The police recovered a mobile phone from his possession, which contained incriminating evidence, including obscene photos, videos, WhatsApp chats, and fake Facebook accounts used for blackmailing.

Explaining his modus operandi, the police said the accused would first create fake social media profiles using female identities and photos to befriend women.

After gaining their confidence, he persuaded them to share private images or videos. Later, he blackmailed them by threatening to circulate the material online or send it to their relatives.

To exert more pressure, he also created additional fake accounts using the victims’ photos.

The police said further investigation is underway to identify possible accomplices and verify the use of other mobile numbers and fake accounts linked to the accused.