Maharashtra Cricketer Falls Victim to S*xtortion During BCCI Tournament in Bengaluru After WhatsApp Video Call
A 20-year-old cricketer from Maharashtra, who was in Bengaluru for a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tournament, has allegedly fallen victim to a s*xtortion racket after a woman he met on a dating app reportedly recorded a private video call without his consent and demanded money to prevent it from being shared online.
A 20-year-old cricketer from Maharashtra, who was in Bengaluru for a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tournament, has allegedly fallen victim to a s*xtortion racket after a woman he met on a dating app reportedly recorded a private video call without his consent and demanded money to prevent it from being shared online.
According to the police complaint, the incident took place on the night of July 17 while the player was staying at a five-star hotel in north Bengaluru during the tournament.
Woman Allegedly Recorded Private Video Call
Police said the cricketer matched with a woman identifying herself as "Rashika" on a dating app. After exchanging messages, she allegedly asked him to continue the conversation on WhatsApp. Consent To Record Is Not Consent To Share: Karnataka Makes FIR Mandatory in Revenge P*rn, S*xtortion Cases.
The woman later suggested a WhatsApp video call. During the call, she allegedly behaved in a sexually explicit manner, following which the cricketer also undressed. The call ended after a few minutes.
When the player contacted her again, she allegedly claimed she had secretly recorded the video call and threatened to upload it on social media unless he paid money.
Fearing the consequences, the cricketer transferred INR 1,500. However, the woman allegedly continued demanding more money while repeatedly threatening to release the recording, police said. Mumbai S*xtortion Case: Woman Cricketer From Jammu and Kashmir, Her Brother Along With Associate Arrested for Extorting Businessman.
Cricketer Approached Police After Realising It Was a S*xtortion Scam
The player later shared the incident with his friends, who informed him that he had likely become the victim of a s*xtortion scam. He subsequently approached the police.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for extortion and cheating, along with sections of the Information Technology Act related to publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form. The accused remains at large.
Bengaluru Police Warn of AI-Enabled S*xtortion Rackets
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime-2) Raja Imam Kasim P said cybercriminals are increasingly using AI-generated videos and synthetic voices to convince victims they are speaking to a real woman before recording compromising footage for s*xtortion.
He urged people not to entertain video calls from strangers or pay extortion demands. Instead, victims should immediately report such incidents to the police and stop all communication with the fraudsters.
The officer also advised victims whose intimate content has been recorded or shared online to report the incident through the StopNCII platform, which helps remove non-consensual intimate images from participating websites.
BCCI Had Issued Advisory to Players
Police officials said the BCCI had recently warned players about honey traps and s*xtortion attempts and strengthened hotel access protocols during tournaments to enhance player safety.
Authorities have urged the public to remain cautious while interacting with unknown individuals on dating apps and social media, as s*xtortion cases involving secretly recorded or AI-manipulated content continue to increase.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 23, 2026 08:42 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).