Mumbai: New Dating App Scam Exposed, Men Trapped with Hefty Bills at High-End Venues
Mumbai, 24th August 2024: A new scam involving dating apps has come to light, centred around high-end restaurants like The Godfather Club in Mumbai’s Andheri West. This scheme, highlighted in a viral social media post by activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj on X, reveals a deceptive practice that has left numerous men financially burdened and embarrassed.
The scam typically starts on dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, and OKCupid, where men connect with women who soon express interest in meeting. The meeting place is often a high-end venue like The Godfather Club. Once there, the women reportedly order costly items, including premium liquors and hookahs, which are not listed on the menu. The men, eager to impress, are unaware of the financial trap awaiting them.
After placing the orders, the women often leave abruptly, claiming emergencies, leaving the men to deal with hefty bills that range from ₹23,000 to ₹61,000. Photos of these receipts, shared by Bhardwaj, show the staggering amounts. When men refuse or contest the charges, they face threats from the club’s staff or bouncers, compelling them to pay under duress.
The Godfather Club is just one among several venues allegedly involved in this scam. Bhardwaj’s post suggests a broader network of nightclubs in Mumbai using PR personnel to orchestrate these deceptive setups, with women hired to lure men into these expensive traps.
Similar scams have also been reported in cities like Delhi, Gurugram, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. For instance, in June, a civil service aspirant fell victim to a similar scheme in Delhi, resulting in a bill of ₹1.2 lakh.
