Bengaluru: Fraudsters allegedly used artificial intelligence to pose as a woman on a dating app and extorted over Rs 1.5 lakh from a 26-year-old man in Bengaluru by threatening to leak an explicit video, police said.
The victim, an Ejipura resident employed with a private firm, approached the Central Crime Branch’s CEN police station after the accused continued to demand more money.
How The Scam Unfold?
Police said the man created a profile on a dating application on Jan. 5 and soon received a friend request from a user identifying herself as Ishani. The two struck up conversations, gradually shared personal information and later exchanged mobile numbers to continue chatting privately.
A few days later, the woman initiated a video call and allegedly appeared nude on camera. She then asked the victim to remove his clothes as well. Believing the interaction to be genuine, the man complied, unaware that the call was being secretly recorded, police said.
Soon after the call ended, the fraudsters sent the explicit video clips to the victim on WhatsApp and threatened to share them with his family, friends and on social media platforms unless he paid money.
Fearing public humiliation, the victim initially transferred Rs 60,000 to bank accounts provided by the accused. He later sent an additional Rs 93,000 after repeated threats.
When the demands continued, the man complained to the police.
During the preliminary investigation, police found that the dating profile was fake and had been created using artificial intelligence tools. Investigators also suspect that the nude woman seen during the video call was not a real person but an AI-generated figure.
A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway to identify and nab the cybercriminals involved, police added.
