A cyber extortion racket that terrorised victims using AI-generated obscene videos and fake social media profiles of Army and Police officers has been dismantled by Sonbhadra Police, with five accused arrested from Alwar district, Rajasthan in a joint interstate operation.
The arrests were made by a combined team of the Cyber Police Station and Special Operations Group (SOG) following an intensive technical investigation spanning multiple states. The operation was announced at a press conference at Robertsganj Reserve Police Lines by Additional Superintendent of Police Rishabh Runwal, who led the joint team.
How the gang operated
The modus operandi was calculated and layered. The gang first created fake social media profiles using photographs of Army and Police officers — lending their threats an air of official authority designed to maximise the victim's fear and discourage them from approaching the very institutions being impersonated.
They then used artificial intelligence to generate obscene videos — deepfake content fabricated to implicate victims and leave them with no recourse but to pay. Financial extortion followed through illegal transactions routed via mule bank accounts and ATM cards, deliberately chosen to obscure the money trail.
The combination — fake official identity, AI-generated compromising content and untraceable payments — represents one of the most sophisticated forms of cyber extortion currently targeting ordinary citizens across India.
The case that broke it open
The investigation was triggered by a complaint involving continuous cyber harassment and financial extortion linked to a suicide case. That connection gave the investigation its urgency and its human cost a face.
Sonbhadra Police deployed technical surveillance, bank transaction analysis and CCTV footage to trace the accused across state lines. The trail led to Alwar district in Rajasthan where all five accused were apprehended.
During the operation five mobile phones and multiple ATM cards used for illegal transactions were recovered from the accused.
What was recovered
Five mobile phones and ATM cards used for routing illegal transactions were seized during the operation.
A wakeup call to victims
Cases of this nature — where AI-generated content is used to fabricate compromising material — are among the most psychologically damaging forms of cyber crime. Victims are deliberately targeted with content designed to make them feel that exposure is inevitable and that paying is the only option.
It is not. Sonbhadra Police has urged anyone facing similar harassment to immediately contact the national cyber crime helpline 1930 or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in — and not to make any payment under duress.
Silence emboldens these gangs. Reporting breaks them.
