Five arrested for extorting men using dating app

Five suspects were arrested in Rajasthan for blackmailing men via dating apps, extorting around ₹10,000 to ₹45,000 from at least 400 victims.

Five suspects were arrested from Karauli in Rajasthan for blackmailing and extorting men through dating apps and social media platforms, Faridabad police said on Thursday.

All five were sent to judicial custody on Monday after custodial interrogation. (Shutterstock)

Faridabad police said they were trying to trace the gang for the last four months and arrested them on May 8. All five were sent to judicial custody on Monday after custodial interrogation.

According to investigators one of the suspects used to imitate voices of woman during phone calls with the victims. The suspects, all men, are all aged between 21 and 24 years.

Police said that the suspects recorded the private videos of the victims over video calls and blackmailed them into transferring money into mule bank accounts.

A senior police officer, privy to the investigation, said that the arrests are related to an FIR filed by a 28-year-old Faridabad resident who was extorted by the gang through a dating app in January this year.

“The suspects talked with victim on the dating app from mid January, the prime suspect, imitating a woman’s voice, called the victim and asked him to join a video call. The suspects recorded the vicitm’s private video on the call and demanded ₹45,000 by threatening to circulate it on social media platform,” said the officer.

Yashpal Yadav, public relations officer of Faridabad police said that the gang was active for the last one year and had targeted at least 400 victims till now but there were hardly any complaints against them.

“They always extorted small amounts ranging between ₹10,000 to ₹15,000,” he said.