Man arrested for extorting women through fake social media profiles in West Delhi

The accused was identified as Manoj Verma, a resident of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The case came to light after a complaint was received on September 21 at the Cyber Police Station in West Delhi. In the complaint, a woman alleged that an unknown person had befriended her on WhatsApp and Facebook using fake female profiles.

According to the police, the accused allegedly persuaded the complainant to share private photographs and videos, then began blackmailing her, threatening to make the content viral if she did not pay the demanded amount. Despite making payments, the threats continued, officers said.

Based on her complaint, an FIR was registered under sections 308(2) (extortion) and 351(4) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and an investigation was initiated.

“The accused used fake female profiles on social media to befriend women, persuade them to share private content, and later extorted money by threatening to circulate the content online or among their relatives. He also created fake accounts using victims’ photos to exert additional pressure and demand more money,” said DCP West, Darade Sharad Bhaskar.

One mobile phone logged in with fake Facebook accounts and WhatsApp chats was seized from the accused, officers said.

Acting on technical leads, a raid was conducted with the assistance of local police in Lucknow, and Verma was apprehended on Monday, officers said.

As part of the probe, police analysed UPI trails, Google Pay and other payment app data, subscriber details, and IP logs linked to the mobile number used by the accused, officers said.

Police said the investigation is ongoing to trace other possible collaborators and verify the use of additional mobile numbers and online accounts in the alleged extortion racket.