Dating App Fraud: Fictitious dating profile, impersonation and alleged mobile phone theft used to facilitate UPI transfers, police say
New Delhi, August 19, 2026: The Cyber Police of Delhi‘s South-West District have arrested two women in connection with an alleged dating app-based cheating and mobile phone theft case involving a 67-year-old senior citizen. According to police, the accused allegedly created a fictitious dating app profile to establish contact with the complainant before arranging meetings and allegedly stealing his mobile phone.
Police said ₹1.30 lakh was subsequently transferred through UPI from the complainant’s two bank accounts without his consent. Investigators said CCTV footage, banking transactions and technical surveillance helped them identify and trace the two suspects.
The case highlights how online interactions can allegedly be used to facilitate offline deception and financial fraud, particularly when access to a victim’s mobile phone and banking applications is obtained.
Table of Contents
Case Registered After Senior Citizen Reports Cheating
According to the South-West District Police, an e-FIR was registered at Police Station Cyber on July 25, 2026, following a complaint from the 67-year-old man.
The complainant reportedly told police that he had come into contact with a woman through a dating application. Communication subsequently continued through Telegram, after which a physical meeting was arranged.
Police said the complainant met two women at a restaurant in Defence Colony, New Delhi, on July 24. The three reportedly had dinner together before leaving the establishment.
According to the complaint, the man’s mobile phone was allegedly stolen during the incident. Soon afterwards, ₹1,30,000 was transferred through UPI from his two bank accounts without his authorisation.
The incident prompted the Cyber Police to begin an investigation focused on identifying the individuals involved, tracing the transferred funds and determining how the complainant’s mobile phone had allegedly been used.
Two Women Arrested in Investigation
Following registration of the case, a dedicated team was constituted at Police Station Cyber, South-West District.
The team included SI Neeraj and HC Sandeep and worked under the leadership of Inspector Pravesh Kaushik, SHO of PS Cyber, South-West District. The investigation was conducted under the overall supervision of ACP/Ops Sandeep Ghai.
Police said investigators adopted multiple approaches during the probe, including examination of CCTV footage, analysis of banking transactions and technical surveillance.
The financial trail reportedly became an important lead. Investigators obtained and examined account-opening forms, KYC documents, bank statements and transaction details linked to the beneficiary accounts.
According to police, the investigation showed that the ₹1.30 lakh allegedly taken from the complainant was first transferred into a bank account maintained in the name of one accused. The money was subsequently moved to another account belonging to her associate.
Police further stated that ₹90,000 of the amount was withdrawn through an ATM.
CCTV Footage Provided Crucial Lead
CCTV footage became another important component of the investigation.
Police said detailed examination of available footage showed two women withdrawing the allegedly cheated amount from an ATM. The footage provided investigators with a significant lead and helped them connect the financial transactions with the suspects.
The CCTV evidence was examined alongside banking records and technical surveillance. By combining these investigative methods, police said they were able to identify and trace the two women.
The investigation subsequently focused on establishing the alleged relationship between the suspects, the fictitious dating profile and the meetings with the complainant.
Alleged Dating App Impersonation Scheme
According to police, the investigation revealed an alleged plan involving a fictitious identity on a dating application.
The first accused, identified by police as 26-year-old Jyotsna, allegedly created and operated the fictitious dating profile. Police said she established communication with the complainant through the dating platform and subsequently involved her associate, identified as 21-year-old Manshi.
Investigators allege that Manshi later met the complainant while impersonating the woman represented by the dating profile.
In other words, police suspect that the person the complainant believed he was meeting was not the same person who had actually been operating the online profile.
This alleged impersonation formed a central part of the modus operandi being investigated by police.
Meetings Took Place Before Alleged Theft
Police said the two accused had met the complainant on July 20 and again on July 24.
During the second meeting, the complainant reportedly had dinner with the two women at a restaurant in Defence Colony.
It was after this meeting that the complainant’s mobile phone was allegedly stolen, according to investigators.
The subsequent transfer of ₹1.30 lakh through UPI became a key part of the investigation. Police sought to determine how the accused allegedly obtained access to the phone and banking facilities and how the money was transferred from the victim’s accounts.
The sequence of the alleged theft and financial transactions is now being examined as part of the continuing investigation.
₹1.30 Lakh Allegedly Routed Through Bank Accounts
Tracing the money was one of the central investigative steps in the case.
Police said the allegedly cheated amount of ₹1.30 lakh was transferred into an account associated with one accused. The money was then allegedly transferred onwards to an account belonging to her associate.
Of the total amount, ₹90,000 was reportedly withdrawn through an ATM.
Such transaction trails can provide investigators with documentary evidence concerning the movement of funds. In this case, police said the banking records, account information and CCTV footage collectively helped establish links between the transactions and the suspects.
Investigators also examined KYC documents and account statements associated with the relevant accounts as part of the probe.
Stolen Mobile Phone Allegedly Destroyed
Another significant development in the dating app fraud investigation concerns the complainant’s mobile phone.
Police allege that the stolen device was subsequently destroyed by the accused in an attempt to eliminate evidence in the dating app fraud case.
The alleged destruction of the device has become another aspect of the dating app fraud investigation, particularly because the mobile phone was reportedly stolen shortly before the unauthorised UPI transfers.
Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the theft and the alleged destruction of the device as part of the dating app fraud probe.
Police have also reported the recovery of two mobile phones during the investigation.
Police Explain Alleged Modus Operandi
According to the police account, the alleged dating app fraud operation involved several stages.
First, a fictitious identity was allegedly created on a dating application. The profile was then used to establish contact and communication with the complainant, forming the initial stage of the alleged dating app fraud.
The first accused allegedly brought her associate into the plan. The associate subsequently met the complainant while allegedly pretending to be the woman behind the online profile.
Police said meetings were arranged with the complainant, culminating in the July 24 meeting at a restaurant in Defence Colony. This meeting became a key part of the dating app fraud investigation.
During that meeting, the complainant’s mobile phone was allegedly stolen. Police allege that the device was then used to facilitate UPI transfers totalling ₹1.30 lakh from his bank accounts.
The money was subsequently routed through another account, with ₹90,000 allegedly withdrawn through an ATM. Investigators are examining the financial trail as part of the dating app fraud case.
Police further allege that the mobile phone was later destroyed to remove evidence, an action that investigators are examining in connection with the alleged dating app fraud.
Profiles of the Two Accused
Police have identified the arrested women as Jyotsna and Manshi.
Jyotsna, 26, is a resident of Delhi. According to investigators, she allegedly created and operated the fictitious dating app profile, communicated with the complainant and subsequently involved Manshi in the alleged plan.
Manshi, 21, is also a resident of Delhi. Police allege that she met the complainant while impersonating the dating profile holder and was subsequently involved in the alleged movement and withdrawal of the money.
Both women have been arrested in connection with the dating app fraud case.
The allegations against the accused remain subject to the ongoing legal process, and the court will determine the matter based on evidence presented before it.
Investigation Based on Digital and Physical Evidence
The case demonstrates the growing importance of combining conventional police investigation with digital and financial evidence in dating app fraud cases.
In this investigation, police relied on several categories of information, including CCTV recordings, bank account records, KYC documentation, transaction details and technical surveillance.
The banking trail reportedly helped investigators identify the accounts through which the money moved, while CCTV footage provided visual evidence related to the alleged withdrawal of funds.
Technical surveillance then helped investigators trace the suspects, according to police. These investigative methods collectively provided leads in the dating app fraud probe.
Such an approach can be particularly important in cases where an online interaction eventually leads to an offline meeting and an alleged financial offence.
Cyber Police Continue Further Investigation
Although both suspects have been arrested, police said the investigation is still in progress.
Investigators are expected to examine additional aspects of the case, including the complete digital communication trail, the circumstances surrounding the creation and operation of the fictitious dating profile, the alleged theft of the mobile phone and the subsequent financial transactions.
Police may also continue examining the recovered mobile phones and other evidence to establish the sequence of events connected with the dating app fraud.
The investigation will also seek to establish whether any additional individuals were involved and whether there are other transactions or incidents connected with the accused.
Case Registered Under BNS
The case was registered as e-FIR No. 381/26 at Police Station Cyber, South-West District, under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Police said the arrest was made after investigators analysed the available evidence and traced the suspects through the banking and technical leads.
Further investigation is underway.
The case serves as another example of the risks that can arise when online identities are allegedly used to facilitate offline deception. For investigators, establishing the complete chain—from the creation of the fictitious profile and communication with the complainant to the alleged theft, UPI transfers, ATM withdrawals and destruction of the mobile phone—will remain central to the dating app fraud case as the legal proceedings continue.
