NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Saturday arrested a 23-year-old individual who allegedly scammed over 700 women after making connections on dating platforms posing as a US-based model. The Western District Cyber Police Station arrested Tushar Bisht for exploiting platforms like Bumble and Snapchat to dupe victims, coerce them using personal images and recordings and demanding money, according to Delhi Police.
“Posing as a US-based freelance model, the accused created false 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 these fraudulent profiles to establish contact with women between the ages of 18 and 30 on various online dating services.
“Their primary targets were Bumble, Snapchat and WhatsApp users,” the statement said.
The DCP said Bisht established trust through dialogue and persuaded 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 it on the dark web unless the victims paid him,” the DCP said.
Initial investigations showed that the defendant communicated with more than 500 people on Bumble and another 200 through Snapchat and WhatsApp, authorities reported.
The seized mobile device contained incriminating evidence, including objectionable victim data, a virtual mobile number, and records of financial transactions related to the extortion.
Authorities confiscated 13 credit cards issued by banks, the statement added.
The case came to light on December 13, when a Delhi University student informed the cyber police that she had connected with the accused on Bumble earlier that year.
Claiming to be a US-based model visiting India professionally, he gained their trust through regular communication.
As their relationship developed, he convinced her to share private photos and videos via Snapchat and WhatsApp. He constantly avoided in-person meetings with various excuses, the DCP said.
“The situation worsened when the accused sent her a private video that he had shared and demanded money. Under pressure, the victim made small payments, citing her financial limitations. However, the incessant demands led her to inform her family and file a complaint. complaint.” the DCP said.
Following an FIR registration, a dedicated team identified Bisht and located him in Shakarpur, east Delhi. A raid resulted in his arrest, the statement confirmed.
Explaining his methods, the DCP revealed that during interrogation, Bisht admitted to using a virtual international number obtained through an application for more than two years. He used this to register on various platforms, presenting himself as a successful model.
Their fake profiles included fictitious narratives and photographs for authenticity. After establishing connections, he persuaded victims to share intimate material.
“At first he did it for fun but later turned it into a calculated plan for extortion. He confessed to possessing private contents of numerous women and blackmailing several of them for financial gain,” Vichitra Veer said in the statement.
Bisht comes from a middle-class Shakarpur family. His father works as a private driver, his mother takes care of the house and his sister works in Gurugram.
Bisht, a BBA graduate, worked as a technical recruiter in a Noida-based organization for three years.
Police investigations revealed communications with more than 60 women from Delhi and surrounding areas. They identified two bank accounts linked to him, one of which showed multiple victim transactions while they waited for details of the second account.