Scam Alert: Night Clubs Targeting Users From Tinder, Bumble, And Other Dating Apps

As investigations proceed, dating app users are advised to be cautious when meeting matches, particularly at unfamiliar or upscale venues.

A dating app scam targeting men in Mumbai has been exposed, with victims facing bills between Rs 23,000 and Rs 61,000. According to X user Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj, the scheme involves women using popular dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, Happn, and QuackQuack to entice unsuspecting men into costly nightclubs.

The scam operates by women swiftly matching with men on dating apps and proposing immediate meetups at specific locations. Once at the venue, the women order expensive items, often not on the menu, before abruptly leaving for various reasons. The men are then left with hefty bills; some have reported facing threats from club staff when they protest.

Bhardwaj reports that the scam is prevalent, with at least 10 men becoming victims daily at a single nightclub. The women involved receive 15-20% of the bill as a commission, indicating a potentially organized scheme that might involve nightclub management.

Despite numerous cyber complaints from victims, the scam persists at various locations across Mumbai. The Godfather Club in Andheri West has been highlighted as a major hotspot for these fraudulent activities, although other venues are also involved.

Many victims have been reluctant to report these incidents to authorities due to concerns about personal exposure. Similar scams have been reported in major Indian cities, including Delhi, Gurugram, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. In June, a man in Delhi was scammed similarly, ending up with a massive Rs 1.2 lac bill.

Mumbai Police have announced that senior officials at the concerned police station have been notified and an investigation is in progress. Authorities believe there may be a larger network of nightclubs using PR staff to recruit women to lure men through dating apps.