The Delhi Police has busted a ‘honeytrap’ racket that allegedly sextorted victims through video calls before coercing them for money, officials said on Saturday.
The suspected mastermind behind the honeytrap operations, identified as Arman (23), was arrested from Ladamka village in Rajasthan’s Deeg district, they said.
Police said a man lodged a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal alleging he was blackmailed after being trapped through an obscene video call.
The complainant claimed he received a video call from an unknown number in which a pre-recorded obscene video featuring a woman was being played.
The victim was manipulated into removing his clothes during the interaction, and the culprits allegedly recorded his private moments.
The accused later sent the recorded clip to the complainant and allegedly demanded Rs 1 lakh, threatening to circulate the video on social media platforms if the money was not paid. “The victim initially transferred some amount out of fear, but approached police after repeated extortion demands,” the officer said.
Based on the complaint, an FIR was registered on May 13. During investigation, police analysed the money trail which was traced to Rajasthan’s Mewat region.
Subsequently raids based on technical surveillance led to the arrest of Arman.
“Two mobile phones and 11 SIM cards were recovered from his possession. During examination of the devices, police found nearly 150 obscene videos, including around 50 involving different victims,” he said.
Police said one mobile phone was allegedly used to make video calls and chat with victims, while the second device was used to play pre-recorded obscene videos during calls.
During interrogation, the accused disclosed that he used fake identities and randomly picked mobile numbers from social media and dating applications to target people. He allegedly lured victims into intimate conversations and later extorted money by threatening to upload their private videos online.
Police said efforts are underway to trace other members involved in the racket.
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