In a significant operation, the Delhi Police apprehended a cybercriminal on Thursday, known for being a serial extortionist who engaged in extensive honey-trapping, romance scams, and the blackmailing of women via deceptive profiles on various dating and matrimonial sites.

The suspect, identified as Anand Kumar (35), hails from North 24 Parganas in West Bengal. He was caught by a specialized team from the Cyber Police Station of the South-West District. Kumar is charged with defrauding and extorting over 500 victims across the country by masquerading as different professionals, including doctors, producers, lawyers, and businessmen on social media and matrimonial apps.

Authorities revealed that he extorted nearly Rs 2 crore by employing emotional tactics, making false marriage promises, and threatening to leak private content. During the raid, police recovered four smartphones, eight SIM cards, three debit cards, and gold jewelry, including four bracelets and five chains, allegedly bought with the embezzled funds.

The arrest followed an e-FIR filed by a woman who lost almost Rs 7 lakh. She reported meeting the accused on a dating app, where he presented himself as “Vaibhav Arora,” a seemingly respectable and well-off individual. After establishing trust, he shifted their conversation to Instagram and later to WhatsApp, using multiple phone numbers.

Over time, Kumar developed an emotional bond with the victim, promising marriage. To bolster his deception, he introduced another fictitious character named “Anand,” who he claimed was a close friend responsible for organizing a family meeting. He concocted stories about medical crises and financial troubles to solicit monetary assistance. When the victim sought repayment, he vanished, falsely claiming that “Vaibhav” had passed away to avoid further contact.

Given the severity of the case, a specialized team, led by Sub-Inspector Priyanka and supervised by Inspector Pravesh Kaushik and ACP Sanghmitra, was established. They conducted comprehensive technical analyses of digital evidence, including IP logs, mobile numbers, and financial transactions. Surveillance confirmed that Kumar was operating from West Bengal, prompting coordinated raids and leading to his capture.

Investigators discovered that Anand Kumar was simultaneously managing multiple false identities, including Vaibhav Arora, Dr Rohit Behl, Tarun, Anand Sharma, and Shikha. He engaged in parallel conversations with numerous victims across various states and employed sophisticated techniques, such as utilizing multiple SIM cards and frequently changing devices to evade detection.

His method involved creating fraudulent profiles across platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and various dating and matrimonial websites. He would initiate contact with women, gradually build emotional rapport, and then exploit them financially by citing emergencies or promising fake opportunities like modeling jobs or admissions into prestigious institutions.

In numerous cases, Kumar also collected private photos and videos shared by victims, later using them for blackmail, threatening to expose the content publicly.

Police further disclosed that Anand Kumar had two prior involvements in similar cybercrime cases registered in Delhi and Ghaziabad. A significant amount of the swindled money was spent on online gaming and personal expenditures.

Ongoing investigations aim to uncover further details about this case.