New Delhi: Posing as a doctor, businessman, lawyer or film producer, a 35-year-old man allegedly duped several women across the country of nearly Rs 2 crore by striking up romantic relationships on a dating app.
In one case, he even faked his death to cut off contact with a victim after cheating her.The accused, Anand Kumar, was arrested after a woman from southwest Delhi complained that she was cheated of Rs 7 lakh by a man she met on the app. Police said the two had connected on social media, where he promised marriage and introduced a “close friend” who would supposedly facilitate a meeting between their families.Soon after, Kumar allegedly began spinning stories of medical emergencies and business losses to seek financial help.
When the woman asked for her money back, he stopped responding. Days later, she received a message from an unknown person on social media claiming that Kumar died. Suspecting foul play, she approached the police, following which a case was registered.“A police team carried out extensive technical analysis of digital footprints, including social media accounts, IP logs, mobile numbers and financial transaction trails.
Technical tracking revealed that two mobile numbers linked to the accused were active in the 24 North Parganas area of West Bengal,” said DCP (southwest) Amit Goel.After conducting multiple raids, police traced and arrested Kumar. Investigations revealed that he was in touch with many women from different parts of the country, using SIM cards obtained under multiple identities.Police said his modus operandi involved posing as a reputed professional before fabricating crises such as medical emergencies, financial distress, business losses or urgent family needs to pressure victims into transferring money.In several cases, Kumar allegedly lured women with promises of marriage or career opportunities, including modelling assignments and admissions to reputed institutions. During online interactions, he also collected personal photos and videos, which he later used to threaten victims with exposure on social media, police said.Four smartphones, eight SIM cards, three debit cards and gold articles — including four bracelets and five chains purchased using the cheated money — were seized from his possession.
