India, Oct. 23 -- In what police are calling the first cybercrime case of its kind in Jabalpur, a popular Instagram creator from Madhya Pradesh has allegedly lost Rs.50 lakh to a digital extortion gang that threatened to "strike" and "ban" his social media accounts.

The victim, Azim Ahmed (28), a software engineer-turned-digital entrepreneur, has filed a complaint with the Jabalpur Cyber Cell, which has launched an investigation into the scam.

"For almost a year, I have been receiving fake copyright strikes and threats. They claim my posts are their content and say if I don't pay, my accounts will be deleted," Ahmed told NDTV.

"The threats escalated to phone calls and fake 'Instagram strike' emails. A caller from Pune demanded Rs.25,00...