Lured to bars, trapped with exorbitant bills and forced to pay up – a simple night out turned nightmare for many online dating app users in Delhi.
On Saturday, the Special Task Force of Delhi Police received information about a gang using dating apps to scam people at a bar inside a mall in East Delhi and arrested four people.
After hours of questioning, the accused admitted to setting up fake women profiles on dating apps to lure victims. Well-known dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, Happn, Aisle and Woo were used to lure the victims, officials said.
Explaining in detail, the accused told the police that once someone fell for the fake profile and agreed to meet, they were taken to the “Big Daddy Bar” in Delhi’s Cross River Mall and encouraged to order expensive food and drinks. By the end of the night, the bill, rigged in collaboration with the bar management, would be increased to an exorbitant amount forcing the victim to pay a huge amount.
In return for this entire racket, the accused used to get Rs 3,000 per day from the bar. The women – who posed as fake dates – were also arranged from different bars, so that the scam looked real.
The police have recovered four mobile phones from the accused, which have substantial evidence related to these fraudulent activities.
Police are actively investigating the matter and are now also finding out whether this gang is linked to other people or bars.
