Although Cyclone Dithwa fizzled out without causing major damage along the Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh coasts, the deep depression it weakened into is now expected to unleash isolated extremely heavy rains over parts of the Chennai, Tiruvallur, and Ranipet districts, the meteorological department has warned. With the system moving parallel to the Tamil Nadu coast, around 50 km from the shoreline, and heading towards south Andhra Pradesh, Chennai's Nungambakkam recorded 9 cm of rain in just 11 hours, signalling the start of what could be another challenging spell for the city. Civic Body Claims Full Preparedness The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has asserted that the city is "fully prepared" to handle another prolonged rain spell. Officials say 215 relief centres have been readied across Chennai, each equipped with food, essential supplies, and basic medical support. Alongside these, 111 community kitchens have been activated to serve hot meals if r...
A sophisticated "honeytrap" operating on the Telegram messaging platform has led a 20-year-old Hyderabad resident to lose over Rs 1 lakh before the fraud turned into extortion. The victim, lured by a convincing fake profile, transferred Rs 1,02,093 to the fraudsters before realising the deception.
The incident in Yakutpura, now being investigated by the cybercrime cell, again highlighted the growing threat of scams targeting vulnerable users on social media.
According to the complaint, someone posing as a woman had contacted the victim and offered paid companionship services. The fraudster went to great lengths to establish credibility, using stolen photographs, fake testimonials, and manipulated feedback.
Once trust was established, the scammer initiated a sequence of rapid demands for payments under deceptive pretexts, creating a financial sinkhole for the unsuspecting victim.
The victim paid Advance Booking Fees, Service Security Deposits, Room Reservation Charges and "Refundable" Manager Fees.
After promises of refunds, the young man made multiple UPI and bank transfers, ending up transferring Rs 1,02,093 to various bank accounts provided by the fraudster.
The trap finally became apparent when the victim was told to arrive at a hotel in Abids locality for the supposed meeting. On reaching the location, the victim found no one.
When he attempted to contact the individual, the fraudster dropped the pretence and immediately pivoted to aggressive extortion, demanding an additional Rs 10,000 and issued threats.
Recognising the attempt to blackmail him, the victim immediately approached the police cybercrime cell to lodge a formal complaint.
Cybercrime officials consistently warn that these rackets thrive on stolen media and the victim's fear of social embarrassment. The key elements of the scam, fake profiles and repeated demands for fees, are standard modus operandi.
The Hyderabad cybercrime wing has issued a stern advisory urging the public to exercise extreme caution, advising them never to trust unsolicited messages or profiles on platforms like Telegram or WhatsApp offering paid companionship or high-value services.
They say that no legitimate service will demand repeated payments for "security", "managers" or "refundable deposits" before a service is rendered.
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