Hyderabad, June 18 -- A 70-year-old retired government employee lost approximately Rs 38.73 lakh to cybercriminals impersonating a fictitious woman, extorting money out of the victim, using emotional manipulation, sexual favours, and threats of police complaints over months.

The fraudsters began by sending a friend request to the retiree on Facebook. This was in January 2024.

The cybercriminals built an account of a fictitious person to deceive their victim, and accordingly constructed a complicated and intricate story to go with it.

The account claimed to be a woman from a poor family, whose father had passed away and whose mother worked as a tailor. After gaining the favour and sympathies of the retiree, the cybercriminals asked for ...