Hyderabad: Saidabad police arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly operating a Hyderabad honey-trap racket involving extortion and cheating totalling ₹25.16 lakh. The accused, Kondabhattula Pavan Kumar, allegedly created 27 fake social media accounts using women’s identities to target men and obtain intimate photographs and videos.
Police said he operated 13 Instagram accounts and 14 Facebook profiles. He allegedly befriended men, initiated sexual conversations and persuaded them to exchange nude photographs and videos.
Subsequently, he threatened to circulate the material unless the victims paid money. He also allegedly threatened legal proceedings by impersonating the brother of a fictitious woman. Investigators said the accused had extorted ₹18 lakh and cheated victims of another ₹7.16 lakh through separate fraudulent activities.
Hyderabad honey-trap racket used fake profiles
Police said Pavan Kumar frequently used photographs of a woman from Kolkata under the fictitious name Chandana. After identifying the misuse of her photographs, investigators alerted the woman through her workplace and the local police station in Kolkata.
The Hyderabad honey-trap racket allegedly involved more than 1,000 people who had communicated with the accused through social media. Of these, 82 victims had reportedly shared nude photographs or videos during their online interactions.
The victims included doctors, businessmen, lecturers, private-sector employees, delivery personnel and gig workers. Furthermore, police identified 24 victims from other Indian states and nine from overseas locations.
The foreign locations included Dubai, Turkey, Pakistan and Canada, according to investigators. The accused allegedly maintained several mobile numbers and WhatsApp accounts to communicate with victims and conceal his identity.
Former classmate allegedly lost ₹4 lakh
The case that led to Pavan Kumar’s arrest involved a former diploma classmate. Police said the accused had allegedly extorted ₹4 lakh from the former classmate using his online blackmail methods.
In another alleged fraud, he cheated a software employee of ₹7 lakh by promising returns on an investment. Investigators said these activities formed part of the ₹25.16 lakh total involved in the case.
The Hyderabad honey-trap racket investigation also revealed the extensive use of social media accounts to approach victims from different professional backgrounds. Police seized three mobile phones, an HP laptop and a 16-GB pen drive during the investigation.
The seized electronic devices formed part of the investigation into the accused’s online communications and alleged financial offences. Saidabad police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.
Investigators also examined the possibility of registering additional cases based on the information gathered from victims. Charminar Zone DCP Khare Kiran Prabhakar supervised the investigation alongside Additional DCP Md. Majeed and Saidabad ACP Soma Venkat Reddy.
Saidabad Station House Officer B. Chandra Mohan served as the investigating officer. Police continued examining the Hyderabad honey-trap racket and the alleged involvement of the accused in extortion and financial cheating.