BENGALURU:
The CEN Crime Station of North Division has successfully apprehended a fraudster who was using WhatsApp to deceive unsuspecting victims by posing as a young woman.
The accused, identified as Hari Yane Narhari, was employed at NR Lodge in Bommanahalli, where he would obtain the phone numbers of lodge customers. He would then proceed to send messages under the guise of various girls, coaxing them into sharing private photos, which he would later exploit for blackmail.
One such victim, who was contacted by the accused under the name of Anita, received a message insinuating an immoral relationship. Subsequently, the accused threatened to expose these messages unless the victim transferred large sums of money, amounting to lakhs of rupees. The victim promptly reported the incident to the CEN Crime Station of North Division, leading to the arrest of the accused under the Information Technology Act.
The accused had created a fraudulent WhatsApp account using Anita’s identity, utilizing the profile picture of an unsuspecting girl. Through this account, he engaged in conversations with the victim, eventually coercing him into sharing compromising photos. The accused then manipulated these photos and demanded a ransom of 1.10 lakh rupees.
The accused would subsequently transfer the ill-gotten funds to various bank accounts, withdraw cash from ATMs, and indulge in a lavish lifestyle. The arrest was made possible through meticulous tracking of financial transactions across multiple bank accounts and the gathering of crucial technical evidence. City Police Commissioner B. Dayananda has confirmed the seizure of the mobile phone used in the commission of the crime.
