Instagram influencers across India are being targeted
These are highly coordinated honeytrap scams. These scams begin as flirtatious DMs, brand collaboration offers, or fan interactions. Within days, they escalate to private chats, explicit exchanges, and manipulated media—used later for blackmail or reputation damage. What appears to be harmless engagement turns into psychological, financial, and reputational warfare.
In 2024, a fashion influencer from Mumbai was approached by an account posing as a Dubai-based luxury brand rep. After a few rounds of conversation, she was lured into a private Telegram chat, where she unknowingly engaged with a deepfake video call. The scammer later used edited footage to threaten exposure unless money was paid. She lost ₹4 lakh and almost her brand deals before police intervened.
These operations are not random. Honeytrappers use detailed digital profiling—tracking who you follow, your brand collabs, language style, and post timings. They imitate verified profiles or use stolen images of attractive models. In many cases, they offer fake “international brand shoots” or “ambassadorship deals,” asking for passport copies or nude verification for “age compliance.”
Male influencers are equally targeted. In Bengaluru, a fitness influencer was trapped after receiving seductive DMs followed by a WhatsApp video call. He later found himself blackmailed with morphed images based on screenshots from that call. The scammer demanded crypto transfers, threatening to leak content to his sponsors and family. These are not isolated threats—they are systemic attacks on influencer ecosystems.
Some gangs are using AI to simulate real-time video interactions. You’re not just chatting with a person—you’re engaging with a pre-scripted scam sequence powered by bots, fake voiceovers, and AI faces. Once data is extracted—photos, contact lists, account credentials—it’s sold on dark web forums or used for recurring extortion.
Law enforcement has recorded over 1,200 such complaints from influencers in Delhi NCR, Chennai, and Pune in the last year alone. Many victims stay silent out of fear of public backlash. These scammers exploit that shame, banking on silence to operate unchallenged.
Influencers must stop treating digital flattery as harmless. No legitimate brand will ever ask for compromising photos, private conversations, or off-platform chats without contracts. Always vet profiles, never respond emotionally, and involve legal support at the first sign of coercion.
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The Akancha Srivastava Foundation is India’s leading social impact initiative dedicated to advancing cyber safety awareness and education. Established in February 2017, this not-for-profit Section 8 organization is a trusted voice in promoting safe online practices across the nation.
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