Police in Gurugram, Haryana have apprehended a 24-year-old woman accused of running an elaborate extortion scheme targeting individuals met through online dating platforms. Operating under the threat of framing her targets in fabricated sexual assault complaints, she allegedly managed to extract approximately Rs 90 lakh from a single victim before law enforcement intervened following a formal police complaint filed at the Sadar police station.
Sting Operation at a Local Coffee House
Acting on the complainant's detailed account of persistent demands for substantial cash sums, investigators laid a trap to catch the suspect in the act. The woman had arranged to collect an instalment of money, leading officers to position themselves strategically around the designated meeting spot. When she arrived at the local coffee house to accept Rs 50,000 in cash, police teams moved in immediately and took her into custody with the marked bills. Authorities noted that the 24-year-old resident of the Sushant Lok neighbourhood in Gurugram holds an MBA degree, leveraging modern communication channels to carry out the scheme.
Bank Account with Rs 95 Lakh Frozen
Subsequent financial scrutinies conducted by the investigation team uncovered a sizable balance in the suspect's banking records. ACP Crime Naveen Sharma stated that officials uncovered large sums lying in her account during the preliminary interrogation and audit. Taking immediate preventive measures, police secured an order freezing around Rs 95 lakh held in the bank account. Detectives are now working to establish the paper trail and trace the exact origins of these deposits to determine whether other victims were subjected to similar extortion demands.
Modus Operandi Involving Online Dating Profiles
Elaborating on the mechanism of the crime, ACP Crime Naveen Sharma explained that the accused specifically used dating applications to initiate contact and establish rapport with young men. After exchanging messages and gaining their confidence, she would schedule in-person meetings. Shortly after these rendezvous, she would turn hostile, threatening to file a fabricated rape case against them unless they paid substantial sums of money to buy her silence. While the accused remains behind bars following swift police action, the ongoing inquiry is focused on identifying additional victims who may have surrendered to similar coercion.
