Police say gang demanded $50,000 after recording victim during a video call and threatening to circulate manipulated explicit videos
A second-year student of Jamia Millia Islamia and three associates have been arrested in Ghaziabad for allegedly attempting to extort $50,000 (about Rs 4.7 crore) from a Canada-based Non-Resident Indian by threatening to circulate sexually explicit videos created using artificial intelligence, police said.
The accused have been identified as Md Faisal, 22, from Mewat in Haryana, and Md Amaan Tyagi, 25, Md Hammad Tyagi, 20, and Md Faizaan Malik, 22, all from Muzaffarnagar. Faisal is pursuing a BCom degree, while the other three have studied up to intermediate level, according to police.
Investigators said the group created a fake Facebook profile using the name Navpreet Kaur Mahil and contacted the NRI through Messenger. During a video call on September 10, they allegedly recorded the victim in a compromising position.
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Police said the accused later demanded $50,000 and threatened to release the recording along with AI-generated obscene videos if the money was not paid
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The victim was given a bank account linked to a branch in Ghaziabad but instead approached the cybercrime team on September 17
According to ACP (Crime Branch) Amit Saxena, the mobile number shared by the victim was linked during preliminary checks to 40 cyber fraud complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Police subsequently registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act.
Police allege the gang had been operating since 2023 and targeted victims in India and abroad. Investigators found AI-generated sextortion material on the suspects’ phones and links to at least 130 bank accounts holding about Rs 6.6 crore.
One suspected associate, identified as Maroof, remains absconding. Police said the investigation is continuing to establish the full extent of the alleged network and identify other victims.
