Handwara police arrested a Bandipora resident, Atif Qureshi, for his alleged involvement in blackmailing people while posing as a fake computer engineer and falsely claiming to be the son of an SSP.
According to police sources, Handwara police received a written complaint from an individual (name withheld) stating that a family member had been duped by Towseef Ahmad Parray son of , Gh Rasool Parray Resident of Patushi Bandipora using fake name Atif Qureshi after making contact with her on social media. He later informed her that her phone had been hacked and data had been stolen.
“The accused, who impersonated himself as a computer engineer and the son of an SSP, started sending obscene pictures and videos to her. The accused demanded Rs 18,000 to clear the leaked data, ultimately extorting this amount from the victim.”
The police official stated that during questioning, it was revealed that the accused had duped several people, making amounts ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000. The accused lured girls onto his social media accounts, establishing contact with them and later claiming that their phones had been compromised and data had been stolen. Using these tactics, he coerced them into paying money to secure their data, with some individuals having already paid.
After receiving a complaint from one individual and conducting further investigations, it was discovered that the accused had engaged in this fraudulent practice with several individuals. The police registered an FIR No. 27/2024 under relevant sections of the law at Police Station Handwara.
In light of this, Handwara Police has appealed to the general public, regardless of gender, to promptly report any such incidents to the police. They urge the public to remain vigilant against the growing online extortion scam.
