Hyderabad Man Arrested for Honey-Trapping Victims, Extorting ₹38.08 Lakh Through Fake Social Media Profiles

Hyderabad: Saidabad police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly honey-trapping people by posing as a woman on social media and extorting money by threatening to circulate their private photographs and videos.
The accused, identified as Kondabhattula Pavan Kumar, a resident of Kukatpally, allegedly created fake Facebook and Instagram profiles using photographs of a woman from Kolkata under the name “Chandana.” Police said they had alerted the woman through her workplace and the local police.
According to the police, the accused sent friend and follow requests to unsuspecting users, initiated conversations and gradually lured them into private chats. He allegedly persuaded some victims to exchange intimate photographs and videos.
After collecting the material, Pavan Kumar allegedly contacted the victims while posing as the woman’s brother. He threatened to expose their private content or have his purported sister file complaints against them unless they paid money.
13 Fake Instagram and 14 Facebook Accounts
Police said the accused operated 13 fake Instagram accounts and 14 Facebook accounts. More than 1,000 people reportedly interacted with these profiles, while 82 victims allegedly shared private photographs and videos.
Through the alleged blackmail, he reportedly extorted approximately ₹38.08 lakh. The victims included doctors, businessmen, lecturers, private-sector employees, delivery personnel and gig workers from different states and abroad.
The case came to light after one of the accused’s friends was allegedly trapped and forced to pay ₹4 lakh.
During the investigation, police found that the accused had stored the material across multiple mobile phones and social media accounts. Officers seized three mobile phones, an HP laptop and a 16-GB pen drive.
Separate Investment Fraud Allegation
Police also said Pavan Kumar had allegedly cheated a software employee of around ₹7 lakh by falsely promising investment returns.
The accused was booked in Crime No. 358/2026 at Saidabad police station under Sections 308(7) and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 66C, 66D, 66E and 67A of the Information Technology Act.
Police are investigating the case further.
The allegations are based on the police account. The accused is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.