Honey Trap Scams: How Fake Online Friendships Turn Into Blackmail and Financial Fraud

Honey-trap scams are emerging as a serious cybercrime threat, with fraudsters exploiting online friendships and emotional relationships to blackmail victims and extort money. Unlike conventional cyber fraud, these schemes may begin with an ordinary social media friend request rather than a suspicious link or an OTP demand. Scammers often use fake profiles to build trust, move conversations to private messaging platforms and gradually encourage victims to share personal information or engage in intimate video calls. They may then threaten to circulate private photographs or videos among family members, friends or on social media unless money is paid. In one reported case, a 24-year-old man from Faridabad was allegedly threatened after sharing compromising material during video calls. Another reported case in Hyderabad involved a 70-year-old retired employee who was allegedly cheated of ₹38 lakh.

Cyber experts warn that these scams can target people across age groups, professions and social media platforms. Warning signs include strangers becoming intimate unusually quickly, unverified profiles, requests for private photographs or money, pressure to move conversations to private platforms, and threats involving relatives or employers. Fraudsters may also impersonate police officers or lawyers to frighten victims. Experts advise people not to share intimate content, passwords, OTPs, banking details or confidential workplace information with unverified contacts. If blackmailed, victims should avoid further payments, preserve chats and screenshots, inform someone they trust and report the incident promptly. Anyone who has lost money to cyber fraud can call India’s cybercrime helpline 1930 and file a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.