Vijayawada, August 26, 2026: A friendship that began on Snapchat allegedly turned into a case of emotional blackmail after a man threatened to take his own life and allegedly took Rs 1.38 crore from a software engineer, according to Vijayawada cybercrime police.
The woman, who is from Suryaraopet and works in Hyderabad, reportedly met Maddishetti Gautham Naidu on Snapchat. He allegedly told her that he was a software professional with a reputed company and was from Ambajipeta near Amalapuram.
As their friendship grew, they reportedly spoke regularly and later travelled together to Coimbatore in June.
Man allegedly asked for money
During the trip, Gautham Naidu allegedly told the woman that he had invested Rs 50 lakh in cryptocurrency trading but could not access the money.
He allegedly claimed that he urgently needed funds and asked her for financial help. The woman reportedly took a loan through a loan app and gave him Rs 10.42 lakh.
However, he allegedly continued asking her for more money.
Suicide threats used to demand more money
When the woman reportedly told him that she had no money left, police said Gautham Naidu allegedly threatened to kill himself if she did not arrange more funds.
According to her complaint, he allegedly sent her a WhatsApp photograph showing himself apparently preparing to hang himself from a ceiling fan.
Fearing that he might harm himself, the woman allegedly continued arranging money for him in instalments.
The total amount allegedly paid to him eventually reached Rs 1.38 crore, according to the complaint.
Cybercrime police investigate
Vijayawada cybercrime police have registered a case based on the woman’s complaint. Investigators are examining the alleged financial transactions and communications between the two.
The allegations against Gautham Naidu are yet to be established through the investigation.
The case highlights how an online friendship can allegedly turn into financial exploitation when threats of self-harm are used to pressure a person into repeatedly handing over money