A Delhi resident was trapped through a fake Facebook profile and threatening WhatsApp video call, leading to repeated extortion demands. Police traced the digital trail and arrested the alleged mastermind.
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The Delhi Police North-West district cyber unit has arrested the alleged kingpin of a sextortion racket operating from the Mewat region. The accused, Abas Khan, 25, is a resident of Tehsil Ramgarh in Rajasthan’s Alwar district. Police said he was caught after a detailed investigation into a cyber fraud case in which a Delhi resident was cheated of Rs 2.52 lakh.
The case began when a resident of Shalimar Bagh in Delhi filed an online complaint. The complainant said he first received a friend request on Facebook from a woman. After some interaction, she obtained his mobile number. Soon after, the victim received a WhatsApp video call. During the call, obscene content was played. Immediately after the call ended, the victim started receiving threats. He was told that his “video” had been recorded and would be made viral if he did not pay money.
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Under pressure and fear of public humiliation, the victim transferred a total of Rs 2.52 lakh in several transactions to the accused persons. Based on this complaint, an e-FIR was registered on January 12 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
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After the complaint, Delhi Police formed dedicated team under senior officers to investigate the case. The team began detailed analysis of digital evidence.
This included WhatsApp account data, Facebook profiles, Internet Protocol Detail Records (IPDRs), Call Detail Records (CDRs), bank transaction details.
Police found that multiple bank accounts used in fraud were operated through mule identities. These are fake or borrowed identities used to hide the real users of the accounts.
During the raid in Mewat, Abas Khan was arrested. Police also recovered an iPhone 14 Pro from his possession.
During interrogation, Abas Khan admitted his involvement in the crime. He told police he used fake social media profiles created with pictures of women. Through these profiles, he would send bulk friend requests to random male users.
Once a target accepted the request and began chatting, he would arrange a video call. During the call, pre-recorded obscene clips were played to create a misleading situation. At the same time, the victim’s reaction during the call was recorded. These recordings were later used as blackmail material.
Police said the accused and his associates used these recordings to threaten victims and demand money.
The case is being treated as part of a wider sextortion network operating in the region. Officials also noted that several youths from the accused’s village are suspected to be involved in similar cyber fraud activities.
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