JOIN US2 youths cheat many with fake FB, Instagram accounts
Creating fake social media accounts can be both rewarding and punishing as two young men in their early 20s discovered.
The cybercrime wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) tracked down the men who allegedly cheated many people through fake Instagram and Facebook accounts. The men acted independently of each other.
Chandan U, 21, a resident of Kodichikkanahalli, is accused of creating several fake Instagram accounts by downloading women's photographs from the internet and sending friend requests to men. Once his requests were accepted, Chandan would chat up his "friends". He would then ask them to share their intimate photographs by WhatsApp. Once the "friends" walked into the trap, Chandan would blackmail them and extort money.
A BCom student at a private college, Chandan resorted to these blackmail tactics to make a quick buck, police said and added that they had seized his SIM cards for an investigation.
Venkatesh Bhavasar R, a 22-year-old resident of Hoysala Nagar in Sunkadakatte, allegedly impersonated Kannada film actors on Facebook by posting their photographs from the internet.
Police said Bhavasar sent friend requests to many women aspiring to act in films. He frequently texted them and promised film roles for "a fee". But after taking the money, he stopped responding to the women's messages and asked them to contact his "assistant", who was nothing but Bhavasar himself.
After the news of the fraud spread, an actor complained to the CCB, saying his photographs were used to create a fake account in his name. An investigation eventually culminated in Bhavasar's arrest.