Crime
Fake dating app profiles used to extort money from middle-aged men
Two days after the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA), Patiala, arrested four women and two men for their involvement in a honey-trap/extortion racket, most of the victims are reluctant to approach the police. The police suspect that more than 50 men may have been blackmailed in the past year by creating fake profiles on Tinder, Facebook, [...]
By aman sood
5 days ago·2 MIN READ
Police in Patiala have busted an elaborate honey-trap and extortion ring that utilized fake dating app profiles to target and blackmail middle-aged men across multiple states. According to the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) in Patiala, authorities have arrested six individuals—four women and two men—connected to the operation.
Investigators suspect that the syndicate has successfully blackmailed upwards of 50 victims over the past year. The network established deceptive profiles on popular platforms including Tinder, Facebook, and Bumble, deploying attractive personas to lure unsuspecting targets into online conversations and video chats.
Patiala SSP Varun Sharma noted that the primary targets were financially stable, middle-aged men residing across Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Because of their personal and professional circumstances, these victims have shown extreme reluctance to approach local authorities or report the crimes.
The modus operandi involved inviting targets to designated rendezvous points in Patiala under the guise of romantic meetups. Once the victims arrived and engaged with members of the group, accomplices posing as law enforcement officers would stage a sudden raid, threatening immediate arrest and criminal charges unless paid substantial cash settlements.
During the recent arrests, police recovered fake Punjab Police identification cards, a country-made weapon, and ammunition from the suspects. Officials have identified the detained individuals as Raj Kaur, Harleen Kaur, Gagandeep Kaur Dhuri, Ravinder Kaur Grewal, Harbhajan Singh, and Lakhwinder Singh.
The accused now face multiple serious charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act, covering offenses related to extortion, criminal intimidation, and impersonation. Meanwhile, cybercrime units are working to trace additional victims and analyze financial transactions to recover ill-gotten gains and determine the full financial scope of the operation.
