Hyderabad: Saidabad police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly honey-trapping people by posing as a young woman and extorting money from them. In a media briefing on Monday, Charminar Zone DCP Khare Kiran Prabhakar shared the details and the modus operandi of the accused, Kondabhattula Pavan Kumar, a resident of Kukatpally, hailing from Kothagudem. He said that the accused created fake Social Media profiles using photographs of a Kolkata woman influencer under the name Chandana. Police said they have alerted the woman through her workplace and the local police.
Pavan reportedly sent friend and follow requests to unsuspecting people, initiated conversations, and gradually lured them into sexual chats. He allegedly exchanged nude faceless photographs with victims and persuaded them to share their own. Later, he threatened to circulate their private photographs and videos unless they paid him money.
One of his targets was a police officer, whom he befriended on WhatsApp. After building trust, he began blackmailing the officer for money. Based on a case filed by the victim, and using technical evidence, Saidabad police traced and arrested the accused. Police seized three mobile phones, a laptop and a pen drive, and analysis of his phone revealed thousands of WhatsApp chats, photographs and videos.
Preliminary investigation suggests hundreds of people may have fallen victim, not only in Telangana but in other states and abroad, including Dubai. Police are probing whether anyone else was involved and examining his chat records to identify more victims.
Saidabad police station registered a case under Sections 308(7) and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 66C, 66D, 66E and 67A of the Information Technology Act and are investigating further.
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