A 23-year-old man has been arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly scamming more than 700 women after befriending them on dating applications by impersonating as a US-based model.
The cyber police station of West district arrested Tushar Bisht on charges of exploiting online platforms such as Bumble and Snapchat to lure his victims, blackmail them using private photos and videos, and extort money, PTI reported citing a Delhi Police statement.
"Posing as a US-based freelance model, the accused created fake identities using a virtual international mobile number and photographs of a Brazilian model," Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), Vichitra Veer, said in the statement.
Using the fake profiles, Bisht targeted women between the ages of 18 and 30 on multiple online dating sites.
"His primary targets were users of Bumble, Snapchat and WhatsApp," the statement said.
The DCP revealed that Bisht gained his victims' confidence through dialogue, ultimately persuading them to share sensitive and private images and videos.
"Once he obtained the content, he resorted to blackmail, threatening to leak the sensitive material online, or sell them to dark web unless the victims paid him," the DCP said, as per PTI.
The accused interacted with about 500 women on online dating platform Bumble and 200 others on Snapchat and WhatsApp.
His mobile phone contained incriminating evidence, including objectionable data of victims, a virtual mobile number, and details of financial transactions involving extortion. The police also seized 13 credit cards linked to various banks, the statement said.
On December 13 last year, a Delhi University student filed a complaint with the cyber police station, revealing that she had interacted with the accused on Bumble earlier in the year. The accused, impersonating a US-based model temporarily in India for work, earned her trust by maintaining consistent chats.
Over time, he convinced her to share private photos and videos on Snapchat and WhatsApp. When she requested to meet in person, he repeatedly avoided it by offering excuses, according to the DCP.
"The situation escalated when the accused sent her a private video she had shared, and demanded money. Pressured, the victim made small payments, citing her financial constraints. However, the relentless demands drove her to inform her family and lodge a complaint," the DCP said.
After lodging an FIR, a special team was constituted which identified Bisht as the perpetrator and tracked him to Shakarpur in east Delhi. A raid was conducted, leading to his arrest, the statement said.
The DCP disclosed that Bisht, during interrogation, confessed to using a virtual international mobile number obtained through an app for more than two years. He used this number to register on various dating and chatting platforms, where he posed as a glamorous model.
To make his fake profiles convincing, he crafted elaborate backstories and used curated photographs.
Who is Tushar Bisht?
According to PTI, Bisht hails from a middle-class family based out of Shakarpur. His father works as a private driver, his mother is a homemaker, while his sister is employed in Gurugram.
He is a BBA graduate and had been working as a technical recruiter at a Noida-based private firm for the last three years.
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