Delhi Police on Saturday arrested a 23-year-old individual who allegedly scammed more than 700 women after establishing connections on dating platforms by impersonating a US-based model. The West district’s cyber police station arrested Tushar Bisht for exploiting platforms like Bumble and Snapchat to deceive victims, coerce them using personal images and recordings, and demand money, according to Delhi Police.
“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 utilised these fraudulent profiles to establish contact with women between 18 and 30 years on various online dating services.
“His primary targets were users of Bumble, Snapchat and WhatsApp,” the statement said.
The DCP said that 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 them to dark web unless the victims paid him,” the DCP said.
Initial investigations showed the accused communicated with over 500 individuals on Bumble and 200 others across Snapchat and WhatsApp, authorities reported.
The seized mobile device contained incriminating evidence, including victims’ objectionable data, a virtual mobile number, and records of extortion-related financial dealings.
Authorities confiscated 13 bank-issued credit cards, the statement added.
The case came to light on December 13, when a Delhi University student reported to 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 her confidence through regular communication.
As their relationship developed, he convinced her to share private photos and videos via Snapchat and WhatsApp. He consistently avoided in-person meetings with various 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.
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 questioning, Bisht acknowledged using a virtual international number obtained through an application for over two years. He used this to register on various platforms, presenting himself as a successful model.
His counterfeit profiles included fictional narratives and photographs for authenticity. After establishing connections, he persuaded victims to share intimate material.
“Initially, he did this for amusement but later he turned it into a calculated scheme to extort money. He confessed to possessing the private content of numerous women and blackmailing several of them for financial gains,” Vichitra Veer said in the statement.
Bisht comes from a middle-class Shakarpur family. His father serves as a private driver, his mother manages the household, and his sister works in Gurugram.
A BBA graduate, Bisht worked as a technical recruiter at a Noida-based organisation for three years.
Police investigations revealed communications with over 60 women from Delhi and surrounding areas. They identified two bank accounts linked to him, with one showing multiple victim transactions while awaiting details of the second account.
