Cyber fraud gangs target youth with fake dating apps
HYDERABAD: Fraudulent advertisements on social media platforms are luring users with promises of chatting with women, but police say these are traps set by cybercriminals to steal money and data.
AI-generated videos used to lure victims into traps
These ads, widely seen online, claim users can interact with “beautiful girls and women” through apps. Investigators said the videos are not real but created using artificial intelligence to attract victims, particularly youth facing loneliness.
Users who fall for the claims and install the suggested apps risk exposing their personal data. Once downloaded through such links, the apps gain access to contacts and photo galleries on the phone.
Apps steal data, enable sextortion and financial fraud
In many cases, victims receive video calls at night. During the call, explicit videos are played on the other end while the victim’s face is recorded. The footage is later morphed and used for blackmail.
Cybercriminals then threaten to send the videos to the victim’s contacts, leading to sextortion. Out of fear of reputational damage, victims often pay money repeatedly, resulting in empty bank accounts.
Police warned that strict action will be taken against those posting such misleading advertisements on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
Officials advised users to remain cautious, noting that strangers online are not offering friendship for free and that such offers often conceal organised fraud.
People are urged not to install unknown dating or video-calling apps in haste. These advertisements are mostly circulated during late-night hours.
Victims already caught in such scams should not panic. They can call the toll-free helpline 1930 or file a complaint on the cybercrime portal.
