Delhi Police recently apprehended a 23-year-old man, Tushar Bisht, who allegedly defrauded over 700 women by posing as a US-based model on dating apps. Utilizing platforms like Bumble and Snapchat, he deceived victims into sharing private images and videos, which he later used to blackmail them for money.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vichitra Veer, Bisht created fake identities using a virtual international phone number and photographs of a Brazilian model. His targets were primarily women aged 18 to 30, whom he contacted on various dating services.
Bisht gained the trust of his victims through consistent communication, eventually persuading them to share intimate content. Once he obtained this material, he threatened to release it publicly or sell it on the dark web unless they provided financial compensation.
Investigations revealed that he interacted with over 500 women on Bumble and about 200 on Snapchat and WhatsApp. Police recovered a mobile phone containing incriminating evidence, including sensitive content from the victims, a virtual phone number, and records of extortion-related transactions. In total, 13 credit cards were seized during the operation.
The scheme came to light after a Delhi University student reported Bisht to the cyber police in December. She had matched with him on Bumble earlier that year and was drawn in by his claims of being a model visiting India for work. As the online relationship progressed, he manipulated her into sharing private content. When she expressed financial difficulties in meeting his demands, he continued pressuring her for money until she confided in her family and filed a complaint.
Following the registration of a First Information Report (FIR), a police team traced Bisht to Shakarpur in East Delhi, leading to his arrest.
During questioning, Bisht admitted to using a virtual phone number for over two years to create multiple online profiles, where he fabricated stories and used images to establish credibility. Initially, he shared this intimate content for fun, but eventually turned it into a systematic method of financial extortion.
Bisht comes from a modest family in Shakarpur; his father is a private driver, his mother is a homemaker, and his sister is employed in Gurugram. He holds a BBA degree and has worked as a technical recruiter for three years in Noida. Police investigations uncovered interactions with over 60 women in and around Delhi, and they identified two bank accounts linked to him, one of which showed numerous victim transactions while the details of the second are still under review.
