New Delhi: Delhi Police has arrested a 23-year-old man who allegedly scammed over 700 women after befriending them on dating applications by posing as a US-based model, officials said Saturday.
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, a statement issued by Delhi Police said.
“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.
Bisht used fake profiles to connect with women aged between 18 and 30 years on various online dating platforms.
“His primary targets were users of Bumble, Snapchat and WhatsApp,” the statement said.
The DCP said Bisht gained his victims’ trust by engaging in conversations, and convinced them to share private and intimate 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.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused interacted with over 500 women on Bumble and 200 others on Snapchat and WhatsApp, police said.
The accused’s 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.
The matter came to light on December 13, last year, when a Delhi University student filed a complaint with the cyber police station claiming that she had connected with the accused on Bumble earlier in the year.
Posing as a US-based model visiting India for work, he gained her trust through consistent chats.
As their interactions deepened, the accused persuaded her to share private photos and videos on Snapchat and WhatsApp. Despite repeated requests to meet in person, he always evaded with excuses, the DCP said.
“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 registering an FIR, a special team was formed 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.
Revealing the modus operandi, the DCP said during interrogation, Bisht admitted to using a virtual international mobile number for over two years, which he obtained through an app. Using this number, he registered on dating and chatting platforms, projecting himself as a glamorous model.
His fake profiles included fabricated stories and photographs to make them appear authentic.
Once he established connection with his victims, he persuaded them to share intimate content.
“Initially, he did this for amusement but later he turned it into a calculated scheme to extort money. He confessed to possessing private content of numerous women and blackmailing several of them for financial gains,” Vichitra Veer said in the statement.
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.
A graduate with a BBA degree, Bisht was working as a technical recruiter at a Noida-based private firm for the past three years.
Police said the investigation has uncovered chats with more than 60 women from Delhi and nearby areas. Two bank accounts linked to the accused have also been identified, one of which showed multiple transactions from victims, while details of the second account are awaited.
