Dhaka: A man from West Bengal has been arrested by Delhi Police for allegedly running an elaborate online romance scam that targeted hundreds of women through dating and matrimonial platforms. Identified as Anand Kumar, the accused is said to have cheated more than 500 women of nearly Rs 2 crore by creating multiple fake identities and building false emotional connections.
Delhi | Cyber Police of South-West District has arrested a cyber fraudster who used to target women through dating and matrimonial apps. The accused has been identified as Anand Kumar, a resident of West Bengal, who had been involved in honey-trapping, romance scams, and… pic.twitter.com/Df24YAT5u0
— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2026
Kumar reportedly posed as professionals such as a doctor, businessman, film producer, or lawyer on various dating apps. After matching with victims, he would shift conversations to Instagram and WhatsApp, where he fabricated personal stories involving medical emergencies, business losses, or family crises to extract money. He promised marriage, modeling opportunities, or college admissions to gain their trust. Police recovered four mobile phones, eight SIM cards, and three debit cards from him, along with gold bangles and chains allegedly purchased using the fraud proceeds. A significant portion of the money was spent on online gaming and a lavish lifestyle.
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The case came to light when one victim complained about losing around Rs 7 lakh to a profile named “Vaibhav Arora” on Instagram. She was promised marriage but was later told the person had died when she sought a refund. A special team of Delhi Police’s South-West district Cyber Cell traced the mobile number, social media accounts, and financial transactions, leading investigators to Kumar in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Multiple raids were conducted to arrest him.
According to police, similar cases had previously been registered against Kumar in Delhi and Ghaziabad. The investigation is ongoing to identify any possible accomplices and trace the full trail of the defrauded funds. The modus operandi has drawn comparisons to the 2011 film Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, in which a conman cheats multiple women using different identities.
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