The cybercrime police have arrested a 24-year-old woman, who with the help of a male friend, allegedly hacked into the Facebook account of her neighbour and uploaded objectionable photos with an intention to blackmail him.
Based on a complaint filed by the victim, the cybercrime police tracked down Karishma Kushalappa, 24 and Pawan Kumar, 24, through IP address on Friday.
Investigations revealed that Karishma Kushalappa befriended the victim (name withheld), who is a car racer by profession and her neighbour in Kodagu. She had recently met him at a racing event and managed to get his password from him, the police said.
“A few days after the meeting, Karishma Kushalappa colluded with Pawan Kumar and posted suggestive photos on the victim’s Facebook account with an intention of blackmailing him,” the police said.
However, before the duo could set the second part of their plan in motion, the victim approached the police and filed a complaint.
The police tracked down the accused and booked them under various sections of the Information Technology Act.
Similar case
Inquiries revealed that the accused Pawan Kumar was involved in a similar offence where he honeytrapped a man and extorted money following which the the man committed suicide in July 2015 .
The police later arrested Pawan Kumar along with his associates, but he was released on bail.
“Pawan Kumar ganged up with Karishma Kushalappa and attempt to trap the racer,” a senior police officer said, adding that investigations are on to ascertain whether the gang has targeted more people in a similar manner.
“We advise people to be careful with their passwords and confidential details to avoid such incidents,” said City Police Commissioner Suneel Kumar.
