The Delhi Police have arrested a 35-year-old man who, officers say, was running a nationwide scam using fake identities on dating and matrimonial platforms to target women.
The case first came up after a woman complained she had been cheated of nearly Rs 7 lakh. But as police began digging, the scale widened. Investigators now believe more than 500 women across the country were duped, with the total amount siphoned off estimated at around Rs 2 crore.
The accused, Anand Kumar, a resident of North 24 Parganas in West Bengal, was arrested by the Cyber Police Station team of the South-West District. According to police, he created multiple fake profiles and posed as a doctor, producer, lawyer and businessman to build trust with women before extorting money.
During the operation, police recovered four smartphones, eight SIM cards, three debit cards and gold jewellery, including four bracelets and five chains, which were allegedly purchased using the defrauded money.
How a dating app connection led to the arrest
The investigation began with an e-FIR filed by a woman who alleged she had been duped of nearly Rs 7 lakh. She told police that she met the accused on a dating application, where he introduced himself as “Vaibhav Arora” and projected a stable, respectable background.
After initial conversations, he moved the interaction to Instagram and later to WhatsApp, using multiple mobile numbers. With time, he got emotionally close to her and even spoke about marriage.
To make his story more convincing, he introduced another fake persona named “Anand”, claiming him to be a close friend who would help arrange a family meeting. He later cited medical emergencies and financial losses to seek money. When the victim asked for a refund, he stopped responding and falsely claimed that “Vaibhav” had died.
Multiple fake identities and parallel scams
Police said Anand Kumar operated several identities simultaneously, including names such as Vaibhav Arora, Dr Rohit Behl, Tarun, and Anand Sharma. He maintained conversations with multiple victims across states at the same time.
His method involved creating fake profiles on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and various dating and matrimonial platforms. He would take his time. He would first strike up a conversation, take time to win their confidence, and then start asking for money. At times, he spun stories around medical emergencies or sudden financial trouble. In other cases, he lured victims with false promises of modelling work or admission to reputed institutions.
Police said that in several cases, the accused also obtained private photos and videos from women and later used those to threaten and extort them, warning that the material would be made public.
Police traced digital clues to West Bengal
With the case widening, police formed a special team led by Sub-Inspector Priyanka under the supervision of Inspector Pravesh Kaushik and ACP Sanghmitra to track him down.
Investigators examined IP logs, mobile numbers and money trails during the probe, which eventually led them to West Bengal. Piece by piece, the trail led them to West Bengal, where the accused was eventually located. Coordinated raids led to his arrest.
Officials said the accused frequently changed SIM cards and devices to avoid detection. He also used part of the money for online gaming and personal expenses.
Police added that Anand Kumar has two prior cases registered against him in Delhi and Ghaziabad for similar offences. Further investigation is underway.