Cyber Criminal Arrested for Extorting Minor Through Social Media Hacking and Blackmail

A 28-year-old man has been apprehended by authorities for allegedly extorting money from a young girl and her family after compelling her to share inappropriate images of herself, according to police statements released on Monday.

The suspect, identified as Sumit Kumar, had previously been arrested in 2020 under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). He was granted bail in February 2021 but subsequently failed to appear in court, resulting in his designation as a proclaimed offender in March 2024.

Police reports indicate that the victim received social media messages from what appeared to be her former tutor's hacked account. The perpetrator falsely claimed that compromising photographs of her were already circulating online and provided a phishing link requesting her social media credentials.

After obtaining access to her account through these deceptive means, the accused hacked her profile and forced her to share explicit images through intimidation and manipulation.

The perpetrator also engaged in blackmail against the complainant by sending morphed images of the victim and threatening to distribute them publicly unless monetary demands were met, according to a senior police official.

The arrest occurred on Monday at a wine shop in Noida following a coordinated police operation.

Investigators revealed that Kumar is a repeat cyber-criminal who had previously been arrested in Malviya Nagar for similar offenses—hacking women's social media accounts, impersonating them, and extorting money through threats to share digitally altered images.

During questioning, Kumar admitted that after skipping bail in 2021, he initially fled to his hometown in Bihar before securing employment as a housekeeping supervisor at an IT company in Noida, believing this would help him evade law enforcement.

He acknowledged committing these crimes as a means to acquire money through illicit channels.

Police officials stated that investigations are continuing to determine if the accused was involved in additional similar crimes.