Honey Trap: Increasing Number of Cases in the Country, How Can One Be Safe?

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Now-a-days, social media has become a great factor in everyone’s lives, youngsters, teens and even adults have been spending a large chunk of their time on social media. They are known for sharing their entire lives on social media. According to research, the highest use of social media is consumed by men. 

A recent warning has been going around regarding the illusion of the media, in which the biggest illusion is the honeytrap. The process goes like this, first, women seeking to trap men send requests on Facebook and message as soon as they reply to their message. They start talking, flirting with men and request them to videocall in the name of “getting to know men more”. It is believed that as soon as the man gives in and receives the video call comes, she either starts undressing herself or places a dubbed screen. Men who wish to indulge in the same, start reciprocating with them. 

In this way women trap men by recording their actions. Cyber Law Expert Advocate Shubham Dwivedi said that this situation can be avoided by not accepting requests as such. As soon as men’s videos are recorded the woman uses the video as a means of blackmailing and threatening to make the video go viral. 

Blackmail leads to men paying ransom amount of money or men if having high positions of authority have to give in to their commands. This ongoing trap has lead to high alert on all social media platforms. 

To not fall under this scheme the following precautions need to be made by all users:

• Accept requests of those you know personally. 
• Keep the Account private
• Do not receive calls of unknown women or men and immediately block them.
• If an unknown number prompts you to converse with them on video call, decline and block them. Report to authorities if needed. 

If you have fallen into the ‘Honey Trap’ do not panic, follow the necessary steps given below:

1. Post on social media platforms that you have become a victim. 
2. If your followers receive an absurd video/ photo of yourself, ask them to immediately report it
3. If you see your video/photo is posted report it and call 1930 and narrate the whole incident to them. 
4. Register your complaint https://cybercrime.gov.in/ and to the nearest cyber station by submitting your complaint letter.

Stay alert and do not give in too easily on social media.