Four arrested in Delhi for extortion via fake dating profiles, police say

Delhi Police bust extortion racket using fake Tinder and QuackQuack profiles, where accused impersonated police and threatened victims with false rape cases.

Four people were arrested by the Delhi Police for allegedly running an organised extortion racket using fake dating profiles on apps such as Tinder and QuackQuack to lure men, impersonating police officers, and extorting money by threatening victims with false rape cases, police said on Saturday, adding that two gang members are absconding.

Four arrested in Delhi for running dating app-based extortion racket using fake police raids and rape threats to extort money. (Representative photo)

The arrests followed a complaint filed by a man at the Crime Branch police station who alleged that the accused had extorted him a certain amount last week and were again asking for money.

Police said the accused created fake female profiles on dating platforms and social media to target victims. Once contact was established, women associated with the gang allegedly called the victims to public places before taking them to rented flats or isolated locations, where other gang members staged fake police raids.

“One accused would impersonate a police officer by wearing a fake police uniform to create fear and legitimacy. The gang would then threaten victims with false criminal cases, including rape allegations, and extort huge amounts as settlement money,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Pankaj Kumar said.

Acting on the information, a team laid a trap near a jewellery store in Rajouri Garden on Tuesday.

Police said Sushil Kumar, 53, a resident of Najafgarh, was apprehended at the spot along with the victim and was allegedly found wearing a fake police uniform. However, three of the gang members fled, an officer said.

Based on his interrogation and the victim’s complaint, police later arrested three more accused — Deepak alias Sajan, a resident of Sonipat in Haryana, Vinod Pandit of Uttam Nagar, and Neeraj of Tilak Nagar.

“In the present case, the complainant said that he came in contact with a woman named Kirti through Tinder. She called him to meet at a restaurant in Janakpuri and later took him to a flat, where four persons, including one in fake police uniform, threatened to implicate him in a false rape case and demanded ₹15 lakh,” Kumar said.

Police said the complainant was allegedly confined in his own car and driven around while being pressured to arrange money and withdraw cash from ATMs.

Investigators found that Deepak allegedly posed as a woman named “Kirti” online and managed communication with targets through fake profiles on dating applications.

Police said three of the arrested accused — Neeraj, Vinod and Deepak — were previously involved in a similar case registered at Bindapur police station in 2024, while Sushil had allegedly been arrested in a similar case in 2017.

Efforts are underway to trace two remaining accused, identified as Gagan and Pooja alias Kirti, police added.