Hyderabad police have arrested a 23-year-old man from Kukatpally for allegedly using fake Facebook and Instagram profiles to honey-trap victims, obtain intimate images and blackmail them for money.
The accused, identified as Kondabhattula Pavan Kumar, allegedly operated 13 fake Instagram accounts and 14 Facebook profiles, mostly using photographs of a woman from Kolkata under the name “Chandana”, police said. Investigators said he interacted with more than 1,000 people through the profiles, with 82 of them allegedly sharing intimate photographs or videos.
DCP (Charminar) Kiran Khare said Kumar would befriend people online, engage them in sexual conversations and persuade them to share nude photographs and videos. According to the police account, he stored the material on multiple phones and social media accounts before allegedly posing as the woman’s brother and threatening to make the content public or have the supposed sister file a police complaint.
Police said the accused allegedly extorted Rs 4 lakh from a friend from his diploma course using the method. He also allegedly cheated a software employee of Rs 7 lakh by promising investment returns. Two other victims were allegedly extorted of Rs 6.8 lakh and Rs 7 lakh, the official said.
The victims identified by investigators included doctors, businessmen, lecturers and private employees. Police said 24 victims were from other States and nine were based abroad, indicating that the alleged operation extended beyond Kukatpally and Hyderabad’s immediate urban boundaries through social media platforms.
The police have alerted the woman from Kolkata whose photographs were allegedly used to create the profiles. Investigators said Kumar used three mobile numbers and two WhatsApp accounts. They seized three mobile phones, an HP laptop and a 16 GB pen drive during the investigation.
The case highlights how online identity misuse can allow a local operator to target people across jurisdictions without needing physical access to victims. The alleged use of multiple social media profiles and communication accounts also means that investigation and victim support may involve platform records, digital evidence and coordination across locations.
Police have not disclosed the sections under which the case was registered or the next court hearing in the information available. The allegations will be tested through the legal process.
