Hyderabad: Man scammed of Rs 1 L in online sexual service scam

Hyderabad: A 20-year-old young man was scammed of Rs 1,02,093 after he paid the amount to online scamsters who made him believe that he was paying for sexual services. The victim is a resident of Yakutpura in Hyderabad and was extorted by the criminals to fork out the amount.

Called a ‘honey trap scam’, the Yakutpura resident was deceived on Telegram by a fraudster posing as a female offering paid sexual services. The cyber scamsters used fake photos and feedback to appear genuine and the accused deceitfully collected money via multiple payments on the pretext of advance booking, service security, and room reservation charges.

The victim was also made to believe that all the payments were mandatory and refundable. “Under this influence, the victim transferred ₹1,02,093 through UPI and bank transfers to various accounts. When asked to reach a hotel in Abids, no one appeared, and the accused later demanded an additional ₹10,000 with threats,” said the Hyderabad police in a press release.

Eventually the victim realised it was a cyber fraud and extortion racket, and then victim filed a complaint at the cyber crime police station. The Hyderabad police has cautioned citizens of receiving messages from unknown Telegram/WhatsApp profiles offering paid companionship or sexual services.

The public has been asked to never share personal details and to make payments or visit unknown locations based on such promises made by people online. “In case of threats, blackmail, or financial loss, immediately report to 1930 or www.cybercrime.gov.in