The city crime branch has issued legal notices to 12 social media accounts accused of defaming women by portraying them as call girls using morphed and AI-generated images while also operating a UPI-based fraud. Earlier, an FIR had been registered against around 120 social media handles, most of them on Instagram.
Investigators said the 12 accounts — nine operated by men and three by women — were identified during the probe. Some of the accounts were traced to Ghaziabad, where operators allegedly uploaded obscene content falsely labelling women as escorts from Ahmedabad, indicating that the racket extended beyond the state.
Officials said the action is part of an ongoing digital surveillance drive aimed at cracking down on online sexual exploitation and cyber fraud targeting women.
Organised network uncovered
Technical investigations over the past two weeks revealed a network of Instagram profiles, Facebook pages, and websites displaying obscene images and videos of women and young girls. Several images were found to be AI-generated or morphed from genuine photographs, including those of influencers and minors.
According to the crime branch, these profiles advertised escort services with hourly and overnight rates, along with mobile numbers and UPI IDs. The alleged aim was both to defame women by falsely branding them as sex workers and to cheat people by inducing them to make online payments.
Preliminary findings suggest that after receiving payments through UPI, the operators either blocked the victims or attempted further extortion, combining financial fraud with reputational harm to the women targeted.
Further action underway
Given the sensitive nature of the case, the FIR has been kept confidential to prevent tampering with digital evidence. Officials said more notices are likely to be issued, and coordination with police in other states has begun to track those operating outside Gujarat.
The crime branch has also advised citizens to avoid interacting with suspicious social media profiles, refrain from clicking unknown links, and never transfer money to unverified UPI IDs offering escort services, warning that such transactions often result in financial loss and legal complications.