THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Hi-Tech Crime Enquiry Cell of state police on Saturday issued a warning to the public on the looming threat of cyber crimes branded as the ‘Facebook honeytrap’.
In a statement, the police said that Facebook users in the state should exercise caution while accepting friend requests from total strangers.
Deceivers on Facebook use intriguing profiles to bring onboard actual users of the platform, gain their trust and eventually start looting them through blackmailing.
‘Honeytraps’ also involve WhatsApp numbers of users, with which criminals make users to share private images or video, in a bid to blackmailing them.
According to police, many users in the state have become victims to ‘honeytraps’ operated by criminals mostly based out of North India. In many instances, the police claim, victims also opened up about the fear of dire consequences if they complained to the authorities.
The police have also warned that users should not reveal personal details in their profiles.