Two Women Arrested for Cheating Elderly Man via Fake Dating App
Fraudulent Scheme Uncovered in Delhi
Photo: IANS
New Delhi, Aug 19: Authorities have apprehended two women for allegedly defrauding a 67-year-old man of ₹1.30 lakh by creating a fake profile on a dating app, meeting him in Delhi, and stealing his mobile device, as reported by police on Wednesday.
The South-West District Police revealed that one of the suspects crafted a dating app profile under a false identity and initiated contact with the victim. She later brought in her accomplice, who met the elderly man while pretending to be the woman he had interacted with online.
This incident came to light after an e-FIR was filed at PS Cyber, South-West District, on July 25, following the senior citizen's complaint. He informed the police that he had connected with a woman through a dating app and subsequently communicated with her via Telegram.
The victim arranged to meet both women in Defence Colony. On July 24, he dined with them at a local restaurant, and it was during this outing that his mobile phone was reportedly stolen.
Shortly after the theft, ₹1.30 lakh was transferred from the victim's two bank accounts via UPI without his authorization, according to police reports.
Upon registering the case, a specialized team led by Inspector Pravesh Kaushik, along with SI Neeraj and HC Sandeep, was formed to investigate the matter under the supervision of Sandeep Ghai, ACP/Ops, South-West District.
Investigators scrutinized banking records, beneficiary accounts, CCTV footage, and conducted technical surveillance. They collected and analyzed account-opening forms, KYC documents, bank statements, and transaction details.
It was discovered that the stolen funds were initially transferred to an account belonging to one of the suspects and later moved to another account held by her associate. Of the total amount, ₹90,000 was reportedly withdrawn from an ATM.
CCTV footage captured the two women withdrawing the cash, which provided a significant lead in the investigation. Further technical analysis and examination of banking transactions enabled police to identify and locate the suspects.
The suspects were identified as 26-year-old Jyotsna and 21-year-old Manshi, both from Delhi. Police stated that Jyotsna was responsible for creating and managing the fake dating app profile and subsequently involved Manshi.
Manshi allegedly impersonated the profile holder during her meeting with the complainant, convincing him that she was the same woman he had previously communicated with online.
Authorities noted that the two women met the complainant on July 20 and again on July 24. During their second encounter, after dining at a Defence Colony restaurant, his mobile phone was reportedly stolen.
Further investigation revealed that the stolen phone was destroyed by the suspects, allegedly to eliminate any evidence.
Police confirmed that the two women were arrested based on the banking trail, CCTV footage, technical surveillance, and other investigative leads. Two mobile phones have been recovered in connection with the case.
The case has been registered as e-FIR No. 381/26 under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at PS Cyber, South-West District, and further investigations are ongoing.