Man held for extortion in Kupwara

Cautioning public to remain vigilant against ”growing online extortion scams”, a police spokesperson said that the accused initially contacted victims through social media platforms, claiming their personal data had been leaked

Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested a person for online extortion in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, officials said on Monday.

“Initial investigations reveal that the accused systematically targeted numerous individuals, exploiting their fear of leaked data,” the official said (iStock)

They said that in response to a written complaint, the police in Handwara area arrested Atif Qurashi, who targeted individuals by posing as a computer engineer.

Cautioning public to remain vigilant against ”growing online extortion scams”, a police spokesperson said that the accused initially contacted victims through social media platforms, claiming their personal data had been leaked.

“Posing as a helpful professional, he offered to clear the data from the internet for a fee. A case was registered against the accused under relevant sections of the law and the Handwara police have taken him into custody.

“Initial investigations reveal that the accused systematically targeted numerous individuals, exploiting their fear of leaked data,” the official said.

The Handwara police appealed the general public to promptly report any such incidents to the police.