‘Online Friendship, Data-Stealing App’: Inside Honey Trap That Forced IAF Officer To Share Defence Data
News india ‘Online Friendship, Data-Stealing App’: Inside Honey Trap That Forced IAF Officer To Share Defence Data ‘Online Friendship, Data-Stealing App’: Inside Honey Trap That
News india ‘Online Friendship, Data-Stealing App’: Inside Honey Trap That Forced IAF Officer To Share Defence Data ‘Online Friendship, Data-Stealing App’: Inside Honey Trap That Forced IAF Officer To Share Defence Data Published By, Last Updated: August 08, 2026, 13:12 IST According to senior Delhi Police sources, the case has pointed to a larger espionage network aimed at collecting strategic military intelligence. Rapid Read Representative image of Delhi Police. A social media interaction allegedly turned into a honey trap that led an Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander to share sensitive defence-related information with a woman, according to police sources. The officer was arrested by Delhi Police on the night of May 30 after the IAF’s intelligence wing shared specific information related to the case with the police. He has been booked under the Official Secrets Act and is currently in judicial custody.
Post investigation, a charge sheet has been submitted before the competent court on July 7, and the matter is sub judice. According to senior Delhi Police sources, the case has pointed to a larger espionage network aimed at collecting strategic military intelligence. Chats, Video Calls Police sources said the Wing Commander was deployed in a field unit when he was approached by a woman on social media. The two allegedly began communicating through chats and video calls, with the woman gradually gaining his trust. The woman allegedly asked the officer to share details about military movements and troop deployments, along with photographs, videos and other sensitive information. Investigators have found that the officer allegedly transmitted “crucial documents and data" to the woman through digital communication channels, sources said. How The Data-Stealing App Came Into The Picture The investigation also revealed that the woman allegedly instructed the Wing Commander to install a particular application on the mobile phone of a fellow officer.
“After obtaining details from him, he was asked to install a particular app on his colleague’s phone, which is typically a form of targeted spyware or remote-access malware designed to steal device data, track locations, or intercept communications," the sources said. Police sources said the accused had installed a suspicious application on the mobile phone of another officer. According to them, the application functions like spyware or remote-access malware and could be used to steal data, track locations or intercept conversations. The police investigation has indicated that the officer was going through a difficult phase in his personal life when he was contacted by the woman, The Indian Express reported. Pakistan-Based Handlers Under Probe Sources said the woman who approached the Wing Commander through social media was allegedly acting at the behest of handlers based in Pakistan. The police are now investigating how much sensitive information was allegedly shared by the accused officer and whether the communication was part of a wider espionage network.
The BriefWire