A Ugandan national living illegally in Delhi was arrested on Monday (8th December) for running a cyber-fraud racket that used fake dating profiles to trap and cheat people. Police said he duped an AIIMS researcher of ₹1.90 lakh by pretending to be a woman and convincing him to invest in a fake “rare oil business”.
The accused, identified as 38-year-old Micheal Iga, created multiple fake identities of women on dating and social media apps. He used photos of his girlfriend to make the fake profiles look genuine and attractive. According to the police, he used to chat with men, gain their trust, and then push them into fraudulent investment schemes.
DCP (Southwest) Amit Goel said that Iga was linked to at least 14 cyber-fraud cases registered across several states, with cheated amounts running into several crores. “He emotionally manipulated victims by showing fake business opportunities and high returns,” the officer said.
AIIMS researcher fell for fake love story
The case came to light when an AIIMS researcher filed a complaint. About a year ago, he matched with a woman on the dating app Happn. The two started chatting and soon exchanged phone numbers. The researcher believed he had found a genuine connection. But that woman was actually Iga, pretending to be an employee of a beauty products company.
Police said Iga later introduced a fake business plan to the victim, buying a “rare oil” from Assam at ₹2 lakh per litre and selling it for ₹3.5 lakh. Believing the promise of instant profit, the researcher transferred ₹1.90 lakh. Soon after, the woman disappeared, and he realised he had been cheated.
Arrested after multiple city raids
The Delhi Police tracked Iga down after months of investigation and technical surveillance. He was finally arrested on 8th December in Burari. Officials also recovered ₹22,500 cash, four mobile phones, a laptop, and six debit cards used to receive and rotate the money from victims.
Police said the accused kept changing his location frequently in areas like Gurgaon, Mehrauli, Burari, and nearby places to avoid getting caught. He has now admitted to creating fake profiles and cheating multiple people through “romance plus investment” scams.
Authorities have also informed the Uganda Embassy and the Foreigners Regional Registration Office, as Iga was staying illegally in India.