A disturbing case of blackmail has come to light where a woman is allegedly threatening a bank officer by using an AI-generated photo. She has edited the photo to make it appear as though the officer is posing with a young woman in an objectionable manner. The woman is demanding ₹2 lakh and has threatened to send the photo to the officer’s family if he refuses to pay.
How the Blackmail started?
The incident traces back to the officer’s posting in Chandauli district four years ago. During his tenure, he trained several women and young girls under an employment program. As part of the training process, photos of the participants were taken, following standard procedure.
It is alleged that the woman, who was one of the trainees, obtained a photo of her fellow participant and used it to create a doctored, AI-generated image. She is accused of hacking the young woman’s phone to access personal photos and then merging one of those photos with the officer’s image using AI technology.
After creating the manipulated photo, the woman began blackmailing the officer, initially demanding ₹5 lakh. When the officer didn’t comply, she lowered her demand to ₹2 lakh and threatened to send the fake image to his family.
Officer Seeks Police Help
Feeling trapped and concerned about his reputation, the bank officer, who is originally from Varanasi, approached the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) and filed a formal complaint. The SSP immediately took action and handed the case over to the cyber police for a detailed investigation.
The cyber police are now investigating how the woman obtained access to the photo and whether others are involved in the scheme. They are also examining the extent to which AI technology was used to create the fake image.
Conclusion
This incident is a reminder of the rising misuse of AI technology, especially in cases of blackmail and cybercrime. People need to be cautious about sharing personal photos and must report any suspicious behavior to the police immediately. As cybercrime grows more sophisticated, law enforcement agencies are also stepping up efforts to combat such digital threats.
