Facebook lover boy emerges as married rogue in Kerala

A young woman in Kattappana in Kerala was in for a rude shock when her online beau turned up in person. The lovesick woman fainted when the 26-year-old software professional she doted had physically turned up in a transformed form as middle-aged man with dyed hair and false teeth.

The police have arrested Sathyaseelan Pillai, who went around as “Anoop Nair” when he seduced unsuspecting woman using the fake profiles he created on Facebook. He has a wife and children in Alappuzha, the police said.

Sathyaseelan was arrested from near the private bus stand at Kattappana after he walked into a trap set up by the police. Thousands of nude pictures and porn clips have been found on his mobile phone and laptop, the police said. An expert in Photoshop, he is also suspected to have blackmailed women using their morphed photographs.

Good advice from a netizen is that think before responding to friend requests on Facebook if you do not find many common friends. If a Facebook profile raises suspicion, consult common friends to check if it is indeed a fake one. Go through the Facebook profile of strangers who want to be friends with you. Profiles that do not have even basic information or posts from friends and relatives should raise a flag and could a potential fake. Discourage strangers who want to chat with you. If they persist you can block them.