The accused posed as a US-based freelance model on a soul-looking trip to India, using photos and stories stolen from a Brazilian model. He targets women aged 18-30, befriending them through these platforms and gaining their trust. Once his victims trusted him, he convinced them to share their phone numbers and intimate photos or videos.
Delhi: Tushar Singh Bhisht, a 23-year-old from East Delhi, was arrested on Friday for defrauding over 700 women by posing as a US-based model on dating platforms. By day, he worked as a recruiter at a private company in Noida, but at night, he transformed into a fictive persona, using manipulation and blackmail to extort money.
Tushar, a resident of Delhi with a bachelor’s degree in business administration(BBA), lived with his family. His father works as a driver, his mother is a homemaker and his sister is employed in Gurugram, as per reports. Despite having a stable job, Tushar got involved in cybercrime out of greed and a wish to exploit women.
Modus Operandi
Using a virtual international mobile number obtained through an app, Tushar created fake profiles on platforms like Bumble and Snapchat. He posed as a US-based freelance model on a soul-looking trip to India, using photos and stories stolen from a Brazilian model. He targets women aged 18-30, befriending them through these platforms and gaining their trust.
Once his victims trusted him, he convinced them to share their phone numbers and intimate photos or videos. Initially, he collected this content for personal entertainment but later turned to extortion, NDTV reported. Police disclosed that Tushar blackmailed women by threatening to leak or sell their private visuals on the dark web unless they paid him money.
One victim, a Delhi University student, filed a complaint with the Cyber Police Station on December 13, 2024. She connected with Tushar on Bumble earlier that year, believing his manufactured story. After gaining her trust, he extorted money by threatening to leak her private material. When his demands escalated, she trusted her family and approached the police.
Investigation and arrest
A team headed by ACP Arvind Yadav used technical analysis and intelligence gathering to track Tushar’s activities. He was arrested in a raid in Shakarpur. Police recovered inciting evidence, including his mobile phone, 60 WhatsApp chats, a virtual number, and 13 credit cards. Preliminary investigations disclosed at least four other extortion cases linked to Tushar.
The police have exposed two bank accounts associated with Tushar, one of which contains payments from victims. Further investigation is ongoing to identify additional victims and establish the extent of his crimes.
