NEW DELHI: 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.