Mumbai: A Mumbai-based businessman was duped of Rs 2.5 lakh by a man who created a fake social media account posing as a woman. The man befriended the businessman on Facebook under the pretext of engaging in sexual activity and then recorded a nude video of the businessman.
The accused, identified as Sanjay Lilaram Prajapat (27), from Rajasthan, was arrested on charges of blackmail, extortion, and violation of the Information Technology Act. The police said that Prajapat is part of a larger syndicate involved in sextortion across India. Investigators found that he had sent numerous requests to other potential targets, the Times of India reported.
In this particular incident, the 29-year-old businessman, a resident of Girgaum, received a friend request from a 'woman' who identified herself as Madhu Goyal. Since they had a few mutual friends, the businessman accepted the request. They exchanged phone numbers and began chatting on WhatsApp.
One day, the accused asked the businessman to go to the bathroom and undress during a live video call, which was secretly recorded. A few hours later, the accused, who had posed as a woman, began threatening him, claiming that the objectionable video would be uploaded on social media unless he paid Rs 1 lakh.
The businessman paid the money, but the accused continued blackmailing him and demanded more. Eventually, the businessman lodged a complaint at VP Road police station. The cybercrime police team's investigation led them to a bank account in Rajasthan, which resulted in the man's arrest, TOI added.