Delhi Police have arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly blackmailing young women on social media using AI-generated morphed images and extorting money from them. The accused, identified as Sourav, a resident of Bhalaswa Dairy in north Delhi, was apprehended on 4 June following a complaint filed by a 19-year-old woman from Malkaganj.

How the Crime Unfolded

The case came to light after the victim filed an online complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), alleging she was being blackmailed via social media. She told investigators that she had received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number containing a morphed image of herself. The sender then directed her to a Snapchat account operating under the name 'Lakshay Garg'.

The accused allegedly demanded ₹30,000 to delete the manipulated image. Distressed, the victim's family transferred the amount through a QR-code-based payment. Several months later, in February, Sourav reportedly contacted the victim again and demanded more money. After negotiations, she transferred an additional ₹10,000 through a cyber cafe. He then allegedly pressured her to share contact details of other young women, and when she refused, continued issuing threats — prompting her to approach the police.

Modus Operandi: Job Offers and Video Calls

During interrogation, Sourav disclosed that he worked for a private finance company and resorted to cyber extortion for illegal financial gain. According to investigators, he targeted young women on social media by posing as a job provider. After gaining their trust, he collected their resumes and persuaded them to participate in video verification calls. Screenshots from these calls were allegedly manipulated using AI-based tools to create obscene images, which were then used to blackmail victims and extort money.

Investigation and Arrest

A dedicated team led by Woman Sub-Inspector Hanshul Gupta, along with Constables Shahzad, Aakash, and Aman, was constituted under the supervision of Inspector Rohit Gahlot, SHO of PS Cyber North, and the guidance of ACP Operations Vishesh Dattarwal. The team collected technical and digital evidence through extensive analysis before tracing and apprehending Sourav from the Bhalaswa Dairy area.

Police recovered one mobile phone, a SIM card, and a Wi-Fi router allegedly used in the offence. A case has been registered under Sections 77, 79, 308(2), and 351(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at PS Cyber, North District.

A Pattern of Repeat Offending

Investigators found that Sourav had previously been arrested in two cases involving extortion, sexual harassment, and stalking in 2022 and 2023 at Bharat Nagar and Cyber Shahdara police stations. This history points to a pattern of repeat offending, raising questions about the adequacy of earlier interventions. Notably, this case reflects a growing national trend of AI-assisted image-based abuse targeting women — a category of cybercrime that has surged alongside the wider availability of deepfake and image-manipulation tools.

Further investigation is underway, with police examining whether additional victims may have been targeted by the same accused.