Hyderabad Cyber Crime police have arrested a 30-year-old software engineer for allegedly creating a fake Instagram account and using it to post abusive, defamatory, and sexually explicit comments targeting a woman.
The fake profile was supposedly created for his fake friend to hide the fact that he posted anti-woman remarks on social media.
According to police, the woman approached the Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police Station after objectionable comments appeared on a video featuring her. The video had originally been uploaded by the Instagram channel Pura Local and later circulated on social media.
Police said the accused deliberately created a fictitious social media identity and used it to publish offensive material in a public forum.
The posts were intended to undermine the woman’s reputation and dignity and to cause public humiliation.
They filed a case and started investigating the account when she filed a complaint.
How did police trace the fake Instagram account?
According to investigators, the accused thought that using a fake Instagram profile would help him hide his identity.
However, cybercrime officials were able to trace the digital trail from the account and identify the person who was operating it.
The police subsequently arrested the software engineer in Hyderabad.
The officers seized one mobile phone from the accused during the investigation. The device is being examined as part of the case.
Digital evidence will also be available to detectives to help them track people who are using fake accounts even if they try to hide their identity, investigators said.
The investigation will also look at the seized device and other digital evidence to establish how the account was created and operated.
Police are also going to investigate the posts and comments that were made through the fake profile.
The accused has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. The case includes provisions on online impersonation, obscene material and other alleged offences.
The incident shows how online harassment of digital users, whether by anonymous or fake social media accounts, is on the rise.
A fake profile can allow a person to hide behind a false name, but the activity can still leave a digital trail. Investigators can examine devices, account activity, and other technical evidence while tracing the person behind an account.
Police Issue Advisory on Fake Social Media Accounts
As a result, Cyber Crime officials advised people who encounter online harassment not to delete abusive posts or messages immediately after the arrest.
Instead, victims should preserve evidence before blocking or reporting the account.
Police advised people to take screenshots of the fake profile, objectionable posts and messages. They should also save the profile's username, URLs and the date and time when the content was posted.
This information can help investigators in a cybercrime investigation.
Police also advised users to report suspicious profiles through the relevant social media platform.
People should review their privacy settings and avoid accepting requests from unknown or recently created accounts without checking who is behind them.
Such incidents also teach us not to assume that nothing can be done against an anonymous account of abuse.
In this case, investigators were able to find the actual operator of the fake profile and arrest him.
Cyber Crime officials said hiding behind a fake social media identity does not protect offenders from being investigated.
People who have experienced cybercrime or online financial fraud can also contact the national cybercrime helpline at 1930 or file a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
The investigation of the Hyderabad case is still ongoing.
Police will keep investigating the seized phone as well as other digital evidence of harassment.
Social media accounts should not be used to impersonate others, spread abusive content or target people with defamatory and sexually explicit material, as the case shows.
For users who are harassed and need to report it, preserving evidence and a quick response are something investigators can benefit from to make sure they catch the culprit.
