18 May,2025 11:02 AM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya Iyer
Representational image. Pic/iStock
In two separate incidents highlighting the growing threat of cybercrime in the city, an 11-year-old girl was allegedly blackmailed into sharing obscene photos through a fake Snapchat profile, while a college student lost Rs 2.74 lakh after he fell victim to a scam promising adult content on Instagram.
The first case, reported from Kanjurmarg, involves an unidentified individual posing on Snapchat as a young girl named "Saanvi Rao". The accused befriended the minor victim and coerced her into sending inappropriate photos which were then used to blackmail her into sending more private photos.
Finally, the victim confided in her parents who took the matter directly to the Kanjurmarg police station.
"We found that the account seems to be handled by a man posing as a girl to lure teenaged and young girls," said a police official attached to Kanjurmarg police station.
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The unknown accused has been booked under relevant sections of the POCSO Act and the Information Technology Act, 2000.
In the second case, a college student from Bhandup came across a link on Instagram offering obscene photos and video calls for Rs 2,000.
The link redirected him to a WhatsApp number, where he was initially asked to pay a service fee. After he paid Rs 4,999 in small instalments, the student received a threatening phone call from someone claiming to be a police officer.
The caller, identifying himself as "Ravindra Singh" and purporting to be from the Uttar Pradesh Police, accused the student of harassing a girl online and demanded further payments to avoid legal trouble. Terrified, the student ended up transferring Rs 2.74 lakh before realising he had been duped.
A senior official said, "Both cases point to an alarming trend where cybercriminals exploit social media platforms to trap vulnerable users using fake identities, doctored content, and intimidation tactics." The Bhandup police are currently investigating this case.
In both the cases, the respective police have booked unknown individuals.
Rs 2.7L
How much a college student lost after falling prey to a scam on social media
