In Agra, Uttar Pradesh, police uncovered a well-organized gang involved in blackmailing young men using online dating applications and social media platforms. The operation came to a halt when law enforcement arrested an active gang member at Diwani Palace on Saturday.
Investigations revealed a disturbing pattern: female accomplices initially befriended victims through dating apps and social media platforms. After establishing contact, they extracted personal information and scheduled meetings in hotels or rented rooms. During these meetings, victims were recorded in compromising situations, setting the stage for blackmail.
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The Victim’s Ordeal
One recent case involved a young man residing in Awas Vikas Sector-7. On September 7, he was invited under the pretense of marriage to a hotel where his ID proof was shown, and a video was recorded. Subsequently, the gang demanded two lakh rupees from him, threatening to circulate the video publicly if he failed to comply. The victim eventually approached the police in distress, filing a complaint that led to the accused’s arrest. Reports indicate that the gang persisted in demanding money even after partial payments were made by the victim.
Expert Insights
Cybersecurity expert, former IPS officer Triveni Singh, commented on the alarming trend.
“This is a classic example of phishing and malware attacks. Every time a suspicious link or APK file is downloaded, the attacker gains full control of the victim’s mobile device,” he said. Singh emphasized the gravity of such crimes, noting that they do not only involve financial fraud but severely jeopardize personal dignity and mental health.
He advised citizens to engage only with official banking or e-KYC applications and delete any suspicious messages immediately. “Awareness and caution are the only safeguards,” Singh added.
A Growing Threat
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported a sharp 25% rise in cyber fraud cases in India in 2022. Particularly, crimes involving online sexual exploitation and blackmail saw a 28% increase. Police authorities are actively interrogating the arrested individual, aiming to trace other gang members through digital evidence and banking transaction analysis.
Law enforcement agencies are also attempting to track the significant financial trails left by these criminals, though the international network and technical expertise of such groups often complicate retrieval.