- By Nidhi Giri
- Thu, 16 Apr 2026 01:56 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Cyber Police Station team of Delhi’s Southwest District has arrested a notorious cyber fraudster. The accused, identified as Anand Kumar, is a resident of West Bengal’s 24 Parganas and has defrauded more than 500 women by creating fake profiles of doctors, producers, lawyers, businessmen, and more on dating and matrimonial apps. He defrauded the women of approximately Rs 2 crore by threatening to make their private content viral, jagran.com reported.
The accused was found guilty of crimes involving four smartphones, eight SIM cards, three debit cards, four gold bracelets, and five gold chains. He has been arrested twice before for similar crimes.
Rs 7 Lakh Fraud Case
According to Southwest District Deputy Commissioner of Police Amit Goyal, an FIR was registered in the Southwest district under sections 308/318(4)/319/340 of the IPC based on a complaint from a victim who alleged that she had been defrauded of approximately Rs 7 lakh through a fake Instagram profile operating under the name 'Vaibhav Arora.'
Promise To Marry
The complainant stated that she initially met the accused on a dating app, where he presented himself as a well-settled and respectable man. After gaining her trust, he shifted the conversation to Instagram and later to WhatsApp using multiple mobile numbers. The accused gradually developed an emotional bond with the victim and promised to marry her.
Fabricated Stories Of Financial Loss
To further consolidate his fraud, he created another fake identity named "Anand", claiming to be a close friend who would help arrange a family meeting regarding a marriage proposal. Subsequently, the accused fabricated stories about a medical emergency and financial losses in business and asked the victim for financial assistance.
Believing his advances, the victim transferred approximately Rs 7 lakh to the accused. When the victim repeatedly requested a refund, the accused stopped responding to calls and messages. Later, he falsely informed the victim via WhatsApp message that a man named 'Vaibhav' had died, attempting to permanently break contact and avoid detection.
Police Analysed Digital Footprint
To arrest the accused, a special team was formed under the direction of Cyber Police Station SHO Pravesh Kaushik. The team conducted a thorough technical analysis of digital footprints, including social media accounts, IP logs, mobile numbers, and financial transaction records. During the investigation, several suspicious mobile numbers and social media accounts were identified and subjected to detailed technical surveillance.
Constant surveillance and technical tracking revealed that two mobile numbers linked to the accused were active in the 24 Parganas region of West Bengal. Based on this, police teams raided several suspected hideouts in that area. Following constant surveillance, continuous follow-up, and coordinated field operations, the accused was arrested.
Accused Changed Mobile Phone Frequently
An examination of his digital devices revealed that the accused was using multiple fake identities simultaneously and maintaining contact with multiple victims in different states across India. The accused employed ingenious methods to conceal his identity, including using multiple SIM cards issued under different identities and frequently changing mobile phones.
About The Accused
35-year-old Anand Kumar is a habitual cyber criminal involved in romance scams, honey-trapping and online extortion. He targets only female victims through fake social media and dating/matrimonial platforms.
He created several fake identities like Vaibhav Arora, Dr Rohit Bahl, Tarun, Anand Sharma and Shikha and operated multiple WhatsApp and social media accounts simultaneously to defraud the victims.
He targeted over 500 victims in various states across India and defrauded them of approximately Rs 2 crore. He has been implicated twice previously in similar cybercrime cases in Delhi and Ghaziabad.
How Did The Accused Operate?
The accused created fake profiles on various internet media platforms, such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, and on several dating and matrimonial apps. He carefully selected potential victims, primarily women, and initiated conversations by posing as a professional, such as a doctor, businessman, lawyer, or filmmaker. He gradually built emotional trust and established long-term virtual relationships with the victims.
Issued Threats To Post Photos, Videos
After gaining the victims' trust, he would create false situations, such as financial crisis, medical emergency, business loss, or urgent family needs, to solicit money. In many cases, he would lure the victims with promises of marriage or professional opportunities, such as modeling assignments or admission to prestigious educational institutions. The accused would also collect private photos and videos shared by the victims during online conversations and later use these materials to threaten the victims with making them public on social media platforms.
500 Women Targeted
To conceal his identity and evade detection by law enforcement agencies, he used multiple mobile phones, SIM cards issued under different identities, and numerous fake accounts. Technical analysis of the seized devices revealed that the accused had targeted approximately 500 victims through his fake social media and dating or matrimonial app accounts. A significant portion of the proceeds was found to have been spent on online gaming and personal expenses.