Doc, bizman, lawyer, producer — multiple shades of conman duping women on dating apps

Vaibhav Arora, Dr Rohit Behl, Tarun, Anand Sharma and Shikha — these are not five different names, but aliases of a conman who was arrested by the cyber police for duping nearly 500 women of a total of Rs 2 crore using dating applications by presenting himself as a doctor, businessman, lawyer, producer and what not, an official said on Thursday.

The accused, identified as Anand Kumar (35), a resident of 24 Parganas North, West Bengal, is alleged to have targeted more than 500 women across India by creating fake profiles on dating and matrimonial platforms, he added.

According to the police, the investigation stemmed from a complaint of a victim regarding the cheating of approximately Rs 7 lakh by a fake Instagram profile operating in the name of "Vaibhav Arora".

The complainant reported that she initially met the accused on a dating application where he presented himself as a well-settled and respectable person. After gaining her trust, he shifted the conversation to Instagram and later to WhatsApp using multiple mobile numbers.

The accused gradually developed an emotional relationship with the victim and promised to marry her. To further strengthen his deception, he introduced another fake identity named ‘Anand’, claiming him to be his close friend who would help arrange a family meeting regarding the marriage proposal, the complaint stated.

Subsequently, the accused fabricated false stories regarding serious medical emergencies and financial losses in business and requested financial assistance from the victim. Believing his claims, the victim transferred approximately Rs 7 lakh to the accused. When the victim persistently demanded return of her money, the accused stopped responding to her calls and messages. Later, he falsely informed the victim through WhatsApp messages that the person ‘Vaibhav’ had died, thereby attempting to permanently sever communication with her and avoid detection, it further read.

Based on the complaint, a case under Sections 308 (extortion) 318(4) cheating and dishonestly, 319, cheating by personation, 340, using a forged document, of the BNS was registered at the Cyber police station, South-West District, and investigation was taken up.

Using technical investigation, analysing digital footprints including IP logs, social media accounts, mobile numbers and financial transactions, he was traced to North 24 Parganas in West Bengal, where Kumar was apprehended after sustained tracking and coordinated raids, an official said.

Upon examination of his digital devices, it was discovered that the accused was operating numerous fake identities simultaneously and maintaining communication with multiple victims across different states of India. The accused had adopted sophisticated methods to conceal his identity, including the use of multiple SIM cards issued on different identities and frequent switching of mobile devices, the cop added.

The accused also collected personal photos and videos shared by victims during online interactions and later used these materials to threaten victims with exposure on social media platforms, the official elaborated.

Technical analysis of seized devices revealed that the accused had targeted approximately 500 victims through his fake social media and dating, matrimonial app accounts. A significant portion of the cheated money was found to have been spent on online gaming and personal expenditures, the officer said.