Daijiworld Media Network – Thane

Thane, Jul 21: A 23-year-old woman from Thane district fell prey to an online blackmail scam after a man allegedly recorded her objectionable video during a video call and extorted Rs 1.11 lac from her, police said on Monday.

According to officials from Kashimira police station, the incident began on July 8 when the woman clicked on an Instagram reel titled ‘UK Marriage Bureau’ that linked to a WhatsApp contact named ‘Rahul UK (UK Boy)’. A conversation followed, which quickly turned into a digital friendship. The two exchanged personal details before the man allegedly convinced her to strip on a video call — which he secretly recorded.

Moments later, the man abruptly ended the call and claimed he was coming to Mumbai to meet her. On July 11, he contacted the woman again, falsely claiming he had been detained at the airport and needed urgent help. When she expressed her inability to send money, he sent her the recorded video and threatened to release it online if she didn’t comply.

Under duress, the woman transferred a total of Rs 1.11 lac through digital platforms across more than 30 transactions. After the transfers, the accused stopped responding, prompting the woman to block him and eventually approach her family.

Following their advice, she filed a complaint on July 18. Kashimira police have registered a case under sections 318(4) (cheating) and 308 (extortion) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigations are currently underway.