Delhi Police have arrested a 29-year-old Nigerian man accused of scamming more than 100 women across India by posing as a UK-based Korean businessman on a language exchange application.
According to Hindustan Times, the suspect, identified as Stephane but operating online under the aliases “Dominic” and “Duck Young,” was apprehended on Monday, September 29, from a rented apartment in Tilak Nagar, West Delhi.
This case is part of a broader trend of cyber-enabled romance scams, where fraudsters exploit social and dating platforms to deceive and financially exploit victims, often by pretending to be someone they’re not.
His accomplices would call victims while impersonating officials, demanding money for his “release.”
Many women, believing they were helping a friend—or even a future partner—transferred large sums digitally.
The scam blew open after a woman named Anjali reported losing Rs 48,500.
She said “Duck Young” told her he was detained at Mumbai airport, and she soon got calls from supposed immigration officers asking her to pay more
When she refused to send an additional Rs 2 lakh, he vanished.
Police traced him through call records, bank accounts, and social media, eventually recovering a mobile phone loaded with fake profiles and chats involving over 100 women.
During interrogation, he confessed he had entered India in 2019 on a six-month tourist visa using an Ivorian passport to bypass restrictions Nigerians faced at the time. After overstaying illegally and running out of money, he turned to cyber fraud.
Online romance and impersonation scams have seen a sharp rise globally, particularly in countries like India, where the rapid adoption of digital platforms has outpaced public awareness of cyber fraud.
Scammers often exploit social vulnerabilities, such as loneliness, trust, and the hope for meaningful connections, using platforms like language exchange apps, dating sites, and social media to find and manipulate targets.
(Punch)
