Hyderabad: A 70-year-old retired government employee from Hyderabad fell victim to a massive sextortion and impersonation scam, losing a staggering Rs 38.73 lakh to cybercriminals who used emotional manipulation, false identities and threats of police action to extort money from him over several months.
The elaborate fraud began with an innocent-looking friend request on Facebook, which spiralled into a web of deceit involving impersonation of family members and fake police personnel, resulting in continuous blackmail and extortion.
Facebook friendship turns into trap
In January 2024, the victim accepted a Facebook friend request from a woman who claimed to be from a poor family. She narrated a sob story about her father abandoning them and her mother working as a tailor. She then asked the victim to help her with a Wi-Fi connection and shared the mobile number of a local cable operator.
Moved by the request, the victim paid Rs 10,000. However, shortly after receiving the payment, the woman stopped responding.
Medical emergency ruse and emotional manipulation
The cable operator then took over communication, claiming the girl had fallen critically ill and needed urgent intestinal surgery.
Over time, the victim transferred Rs 10 lakh in multiple transactions for medical expenses and other needs. He even shared his credit card details, which were misused to withdraw an additional Rs 2.65 lakh.
Sextortion begins: Allegations of abuse
After this, the victim was contacted again through the same number. This time, individuals pretending to be the girl’s mother and sister initiated sexually explicit chats with him. Soon after, the original cable operator contacted the victim, accusing him of engaging in inappropriate chats with his ‘minor’ sister and threatening to lodge a police complaint.
A person posing as a police constable then advised the victim to settle the issue by paying money to the family.
Impersonation of police officers and continued extortion
Over the next few weeks, the victim was blackmailed into making several payments including Rs 12.5 lakh for the girl’s education and her mother’s DWCRA loan, Rs 10 lakh to a man claiming to be a sub-inspector (SI), Rs 1 lakh to the impersonated constable himself and Rs 7.37 lakh to a newly introduced ‘SI’ for avoiding POCSO charges.
The victim was also asked to accept further friend requests under pressure and was video-called by the so-called ‘minor girl’ who did not appear on screen but asked the victim to do so, presumably for blackmail purposes.
Final threats and desperation
On April 25, 2025, the threats escalated. The victim was told to pay Rs 6.5 lakh for the girl’s grandfather and Rs 20 lakh for the SI to prevent a case from being filed. The blackmailers warned that failing to comply would lead to the registration of a criminal case with the Telangana Police.
So far, the victim has transferred a total of Rs 38,73,150 over multiple stages. He has now submitted an online complaint to cybercrime authorities, seeking justice and urging others not to fall for similar traps.
Public advisory
The Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police have issued an urgent public advisory in light of the case:
– Never accept friend requests from unknown individuals on social media.
– Avoid sharing personal, financial, or sensitive information with strangers online.
– Refrain from engaging in explicit chats with people you do not know personally.
– Do not respond to threats claiming to be from police officials. Real officers never demand money to settle legal matters.
– Preserve all communication evidence and report immediately.
