Delhi man posing as US model dupes 700 women on Bumble, Snapchat, asked for intimate photos, blackmailed for money

Tushar Singh Bisht, a 23-year-old recruiter from Noida, was arrested on Friday in the Shakarpur area of East Delhi for allegedly defrauding more than 700 women by posing as a US-based model on dating platforms. His day job as a technical recruiter provided financial stability, but he turned to cybercrime at night, engaging in manipulation and blackmail to generate income.

Bisht, a Delhi resident with a bachelor's degree in business administration, had been employed for the past three years. Despite his stable employment, he reportedly succumbed to greed and a desire for relationships, leading him into a world of deceit.

Plan of action

Using a virtual international mobile number obtained through an app, Bisht created fake profiles on popular dating and social media platforms, including Bumble and Snapchat. He posed as a freelance model visiting India, utilizing images and stories stolen from a Brazilian model. His primary targets were women aged 18 to 30, whom he befriended online.

Once he gained their trust, Bisht would request phone numbers and intimate photos or videos under the pretence of friendship. Initially, he saved these visuals for personal amusement, but his activities soon escalated into a systematic extortion scheme. Police allege he blackmailed victims into sending him money by threatening to release their explicit content online or sell it on the dark web.

Who were the victims?

Authorities discovered that Bisht had interacted with over 500 women on Bumble and more than 200 on Snapchat and WhatsApp. One notable case involved a second-year Delhi University student who reported him to the Cyber Police Station on December 13, 2024. After connecting with him on Bumble in January, the victim shared personal photos and videos with Bisht, who later demanded money, threatening to leak her content when she requested a meeting.

Initially, the student complied with his demands, but as the harassment continued, she confided in her family and decided to file a complaint.

What did the police say?

The Cyber Police Station of West Delhi, under the supervision of ACP Arvind Yadav, launched an investigation, according to ANI. Utilizing technical analysis and intelligence gathering, police traced Bisht's activities, leading to his arrest during a raid in Shakarpur. Authorities recovered a mobile phone containing incriminating evidence, a virtual international number linked to his crimes, and 13 credit cards from various banks. They also found over 60 WhatsApp chat records with women from Delhi and surrounding areas.

Preliminary investigations revealed at least four other victims who Bisht had also extorted, and police are probing two bank accounts associated with him—one containing payments from victims.

(With agency inputs)