A 35-year-old man accused of orchestrating a large-scale romance scam targeting women across India has been arrested by Delhi Police. The accused, identified as Anand Kumar, allegedly duped more than 500 women of over ₹2 crore by posing under multiple fake identities on social media, dating and matrimonial platforms.
According to the police, Kumar presented himself as a doctor, lawyer, businessman, film producer or model to appear credible and attract victims. He would initiate friendly conversations, gradually building emotional connections over days or weeks. Once trust was established, he shifted chats to private messaging platforms and used multiple mobile numbers to avoid detection.
Investigators revealed that Kumar maintained several fake personas simultaneously, engaging multiple victims at once. By exploiting emotional vulnerabilities, he created a sense of intimacy and trust. After gaining confidence, he introduced fabricated stories such as medical emergencies, business losses or family crises to solicit money.
In many cases, he lured victims with promises of marriage or attractive opportunities like modelling assignments or admissions to reputed institutions. In one instance, a woman was cheated of around ₹7 lakh by a fake profile under the name Vaibhav Arora. He developed a romantic relationship with her, even introducing another fictitious identity as a friend to strengthen his deception. When she later demanded her money back, he cut off contact and falsely claimed that the person she knew had died.
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Meanwhile, an FIR has been filed and investigation launched, tracking bank accounts and analysing digital evidence to trace him. Kumar was eventually arrested in West Bengal on March 22.
Authorities also found that he engaged in extortion by convincing victims to share private photos or videos, which he later used to threaten them with exposure if they refused to pay. He reportedly operated with a high level of sophistication, frequently changing devices, SIM cards, and accounts to evade law agencies.
During interrogation, police discovered that he was running multiple fake identities and communicating with victims across different states. Technical analysis suggests he targeted over 500 women, defrauding or extorting approximately ₹2 crore. He also has a history of involvement in similar cases in Delhi and Ghaziabad.
Police recovered four smartphones, eight SIM cards, three debit cards, and gold jewellery allegedly purchased with the illicit funds. A significant portion of the money was reportedly spent on online gaming and personal expenses.
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