New Delhi, April 16 (IANS) Delhi Police on Thursday arrested a cyber fraudster and serial extortionist involved in large-scale honey-trapping, romance scams, and blackmailing of women through fake profiles on dating and matrimonial platforms.

The accused, identified as Anand Kumar (35), a resident of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, was apprehended by a team from the Cyber Police Station of the South-West District. He is accused of cheating and extorting money from more than 500 victims across India by posing as a doctor, producer, lawyer, businessman, and other professionals on social media and matrimonial applications.

Police said the accused extorted approximately Rs 2 crore from victims using emotional manipulation, false promises of marriage, and threats to leak private content. During the operation, officers recovered four smartphones, eight SIM cards, three debit cards, and gold jewellery, including four bracelets and five chains, allegedly purchased using the defrauded money.

The arrest was made following the registration of an e-FIR based on a complaint by a woman who was cheated of nearly Rs 7 lakh. According to the complaint, the victim met the accused on a dating application, where he introduced himself as “Vaibhav Arora”, portraying himself as a respectable and well-settled individual. After gaining her trust, he shifted communication to Instagram and later to WhatsApp using multiple mobile numbers.

The accused gradually built an emotional relationship with the victim and promised marriage. To strengthen his deception, he introduced another fake identity named “Anand”, claiming him to be a close friend who would arrange a family meeting. He later fabricated stories about medical emergencies and financial losses to seek monetary help. When the victim demanded her money back, he stopped responding and falsely claimed that “Vaibhav” had died, attempting to evade further contact.

Considering the gravity of the case, a special team led by Sub-Inspector Priyanka, under the supervision of Inspector Pravesh Kaushik and ACP Sanghmitra, was formed. The team conducted extensive technical analysis of digital evidence, including IP logs, mobile numbers, and financial transactions. Surveillance revealed that the accused was operating from West Bengal, leading to coordinated raids and his eventual arrest.

Investigations revealed that Anand Kumar operated multiple fake identities simultaneously, including names such as Vaibhav Arora, Dr Rohit Behl, Tarun, Anand Sharma, and Shikha. He maintained parallel conversations with several victims across different states and used sophisticated methods such as multiple SIM cards and frequent device changes to avoid detection.

His modus operandi involved creating fake profiles on platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and various dating and matrimonial apps. He would initiate conversations with women, build emotional trust over time, and then exploit them financially by citing emergencies or offering fake opportunities such as modelling assignments or admissions in reputed institutions.

In several instances, the accused also collected private photos and videos shared by victims and later used them to blackmail and extort money by threatening to make the content public.

Police further revealed that the accused has two prior involvements in similar cybercrime cases registered in Delhi and Ghaziabad. A significant portion of the defrauded money was spent on online gaming and personal expenses.

Further investigation into the case is underway.

–IANS

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