Cyber stalkers blackmail, shame prey after social media ‘love’ sours

Hyderabad: “Social media is a cool platform to find dates, but once the blackmailing starts, it’s downright dangerous.” This is how a youngster from Hyderabad explained her experience dating men she met on the Internet. With several complaints of blackmail and harassment pouring in, police say social media has turned into a “hub of fraudsters” targeting both men and women.
Krithi (name changed), a 26-year-old who works for a private firm recently broke up with Rohit (name changed), whom she met on social media a couple of years back. “He posted our private chats online and shared them with common friends. We were in a long distance relationship and had shared some private photos a couple of years ago. He misused the pictures,” said Krithi.
“It was traumatising. In the cyber world, this is how those lovers take revenge. They defame the girl,” she said. Krithi chose not to file a complaint, but deactivated all her social media accounts.