Swipe right on dating apps, pay ₹40k: Police bust ‘date scam’ run through restaurant

A dating scam in Mumbai involves glamorous profiles luring victims to expensive dinners, then disappearing, leaving them to pay hefty bills. Police have arrested ten suspects.

MUMBAI: What begins as a promising Saturday night date after a few playful exchanges on a dating app was turning into an expensive nightmare for several unsuspecting men and women on dating apps in Mumbai.

Swipe right on dating apps, pay ₹40k: Police bust ‘date scam’ run through restaurant

Recently, a corporate professional in his mid-thirties learnt this the hard way after he swiped right on a glamorous, witty woman whose profile seemed to tick all the right boxes. After days of chatting, the two decided to meet for dinner at a high-end restaurant and bar in Bandra.

The evening began like any other date. The woman picked up the menu and confidently ordered imported tequila, sushi platters and a range of gourmet dishes. Drinks flowed and platters kept arriving at the table.

But when it was time to settle the bill, she excused herself to go to the washroom.

Minutes passed. She never returned.

When the bill arrived, the man was stunned- it totalled ₹40,000. Before he could process what had happened, restaurant staff and bouncers allegedly pressured him to clear the amount immediately.

Realising he had been duped, the man later approached the police. Investigations revealed he was far from the only victim of what police describe as a well-organised “date scam” operating through dating applications.

Modus operandi

According to the police, several men and even women had reported being lured by glamorous profiles on dating apps. The women would initiate conversations and quickly suggest meeting at a specific restaurant. Once there, they would order expensive food and drinks, run up a massive bill and then disappear midway, leaving the victim to deal with the payment under pressure from the restaurant staff.

In some cases, victims were allegedly intimidated by bouncers into settling bills ranging from ₹15,000 to ₹40,000.

With hundreds of complaints of similar “date scams” surfacing this year, the police decided to lay a trap.

Decoy customer unearths fraud

A 37-year-old Khar resident was used as a decoy customer and asked to go on a date with one of the women at Heaven Terrace 72 Cafe, a bar and restaurant specialising in North Indian, Chinese and Continental cuisine in Saki Naka.

The operation helped the police uncover what they said was a coordinated racket involving the women, restaurant management and bouncers, with the proceeds allegedly shared among them.

Following the trap, the police arrested ten people connected to the racket, including restaurant staff and bouncers.

A case has been registered by the Saki Naka police against 13 persons, including three women. Those named in the case include Mayank Katuria, 20, the manager of the restaurant, restaurant operators Mayur Didole and Nitesh Amadaskar, and Jatin Kumar, 24, a bouncer.

“The complainant is a 37-year-old Khar resident who had got in touch with a girl on a dating application. After chatting for some time, she called him for a date at the restaurant. She ordered several fancy items and claimed to have consumed six pegs of liquor. However, when she went to the washroom, the complainant checked the glass and found no smell of alcohol. Despite that, he was charged around ₹18,000,” said a police officer.

In another instance, a man who met a woman through a dating app was allegedly forced to clear a hefty bill after bouncers intimidated him when the woman left the table midway.

Police said the women would typically order expensive items and drinks before leaving on some pretext, while the restaurant staff ensured the victim was forced to settle the bill.

“The girls would come on a date, order costly food items and drinks, and then leave midway on some excuse. They were acting in connivance with the restaurant operators,” the officer added.

Crafted for fraud

Investigators also found that menu cards were allegedly designed in a way that prices were not clearly mentioned, allowing the bills to escalate without the victims realising the cost.

“Several complaints were received, after which we arranged a trap with the help of the Khar-based complainant and caught the accused red-handed,” the officer said.

The police have registered offences under sections 308 (extortion) and 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with sections 66(C) (identity theft) and 66(D) (cheating by personation) of the Information Technology Act.