Fake cop, Tinder app: How honey trap gang extorted men with staged raids in Delhi

Delhi Police has arrested four men for allegedly using dating apps to lure victims into extortion traps. The case has prompted a fresh warning against meeting strangers at isolated locations.

In Short

• Fake female profiles allegedly lured victims to secluded Delhi meeting points
• Gang members then staged sham raids and threatened false rape charges
• One complainant was confined in a car and forced to withdraw cash

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted an organised honey-trap and extortion racket that allegedly targeted men through dating applications such as Tinder and QuackQuack by luring them into fake meetings and threatening them with fabricated criminal cases.

Police said four accused, Sushil Kumar, Deepak, Vinod Pandit and Neeraj Tyagi, have been arrested, while two others identified as Gagan and Pooja remain absconding.

According to investigators, the gang created fake female profiles on dating platforms to befriend and lure victims to isolated locations in Delhi. Once the victims arrived, gang members allegedly staged fake police raids, with one accused dressed in a police uniform, and threatened to implicate them in false rape cases unless they paid large sums of money.

In one such incident, a victim reportedly connected with a woman posing as “Kirti” on Tinder and was called to a flat in Janakpuri. Police said the victim was then surrounded by gang members, who demanded Rs 15 lakh from him.

The victim was allegedly confined inside a car and forced to withdraw money from ATMs while being threatened with arrest and criminal charges.

Acting on a complaint and technical surveillance, a Crime Branch team led by Inspector Pawan Kumar intercepted the gang near Kalyan Jewellers in Rajouri Garden on May 12. During the operation, Sushil Kumar was allegedly caught wearing a fake police uniform. The remaining accused were arrested later.

Investigators said the accused had a history of involvement in similar crimes. Neeraj, Vinod and Deepak were previously booked in a similar honey-trap and extortion case registered in Bindapur. Sushil Kumar had also been arrested in 2017 in connection with an identical modus operandi.

Police said Sushil impersonated a police officer during the extortion attempts and allegedly received a 15 per cent share of the money collected from victims. Deepak is accused of operating fake female accounts under names such as “Kirti”, while Vinod and Neeraj allegedly joined the racket to make quick money.

Delhi Police has advised citizens to exercise caution while interacting with strangers on dating apps and avoid meeting unknown individuals at isolated locations. Police also urged victims of online extortion or honey-trap attempts to immediately report the matter to authorities.

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