Telangana’s Hyderabad Police on Monday have sounded a warning to the city’s young women and girls, cautioning them against a new digital scam titled ‘Rent a Boyfriend,’ in which cyber cheats allegedly use AI-generated or stolen photographs of attractive men to lure victims with offers of temporary companionship. 

Reportedly, the scam has surfaced across various social media platforms, in which advertisements promising users the chance to hire a male companion for activities like coffee dates and movies to shopping trips, weddings and other events have cropped up. Police said the crooks ultimately extort money from interested customers by demanding advance payments, only to cut off all communication later and block their accounts. 

How does the scam dupe people?

Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjana said that several advertisements have been making rounds on platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Telegram under names such as ‘Rent a Boyfriend-Your Personal Companion.’ The promotional material features either AI-generated images or pictures  of men taken from the internet. Different packages are offered, including Rs 499 for a one-hour coffee meeting, Rs 1,249 for a movie date, Rs 1499 for shopping, Rs 1999 for attending events or weddings and Rs 4499 for a 10-hour package. 

Moreover, such advertisements claim to offer complete privacy and security and ask interested users to contact the handlers by means of direct messages to make bookings. Once a potential customer gets in touch with the crook, the latter allegedly engages in friendly conversations, and asks for money on the pretext of booking confirmation, security deposits or advance payments.

The crooks use digital wallets or QR codes to collect the payments, and after they receive money, they allegedly block the customer’s account, leaving the victim high-and-dry. 

Cops warn against sharing personal details 

Commissioner Sajjana flagged the scam in a public advisory, shedding light on the tactics being used to lure women. He wrote on ‘X’, “Feeling lonely? Want a handsome guy to have coffee with you, go to the movies with you? And that too with 50% OFF!” 

Further in the post, he warned that behind the colourful social media posters and attractive offers lies a dark and huge-scale cyber fraud, terming it a new dating trap specifically targeting girls and women. 

The city’s police have advised the commoners not to share personal information, cell phone numbers or photographs with unknown people online. They also warned that sharing such information could culminate in blackmail or extortion. The cops have also pleaded with the general public not to meet strangers contacted through online platforms. 

“Report fraud at the earliest”: Police

Towards the end of the advisory, police have urged the victims of the aforementioned digital scam to report the incident at the earliest through the national cyber-crime helpline number 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. 

Meanwhile, police added that they have taken note of the advertisements making rounds online and said strict action shall be taken against the ones involved in the alleged fraud.