Serial molester Ravi Verma, who was arrested on Thursday, used to dial random landline numbers to look for his preys. If it was a woman on the other side, he would convince her that he had arrested her husband, and persuade her to meet him.

Navi Mumbai resident Verma was captured by a CCTV camera at a Vashi mall where had trapped his latest victim, a housewife from Vile Parle. The footage helped the crime branch track the 38-year-old down.

"If the landline was answered by a woman, Verma would inquire about the members at her place and their whereabouts. Once he learnt that woman's husband was not at home, he would say that the phone number was being used to carry out sex scandals and the husband was involved in it," said senior inspector Deepak Phatangre of crime branch.

Verma would also tell the woman that her husband was in his custody. "He would then coax her to meet him," said Phatangre.

In the Vile Parle case, Verma had called a housewife and used similar tactics to meet her. "He met the woman at Raghuleela Mall at Vashi. However, this time he ran out of luck as he was captured in the CCTV camera of the mall with the woman. In 2011, Verma had gone to Delhi to attend a marriage and there too he had committed a similar crime," Phatangre said.

The police said Verma's family is aware of his involvement in such crimes. A police officer said, "Initially, they were shocked when they learnt about Verma's habits, but soon they found out that he was a serial offender."