Dating app scam busted in Mumbai: Floodgates open

The Tinder profile of Manisha aka Anushkaa; (right) Pratik Jadhav, who was allegedly lured by a woman he met on Tinder

Following mid-day's in-depth exposé of the dating app racket, several men came forward with evidence, demanding strict action against the restaurants and the women involved.

Rs 55,248
Amount paid by victim Pratik Jadhav

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‘I lost more than half of my monthly in-hand salary in an hour'

Victim 1
Pratik Jadhav, a 34-year-old IT professional, said he was duped of Rs 55,248 during an hour-long date at the Godfather Club with a woman he met on Tinder. The youth, looking for a serious relationship, matched with Manisha, likely a fake name, on August 10. "She took down my number and contacted me on WhatsApp, telling me to meet her at Crystal Paradise in Andheri West. She also mentioned that she was from Delhi and staying with her aunt and cousin."

"I arrived at the location around 5.45 pm, expecting to go on a date at Pizza Express, whose location she had shared with me. However, she said, "Not here", and led me to the Godfather, claiming it was recommended by her cousin. Once we got there, she asked me to order two 60 ml shots of Antiquity Blue whisky, hookah, corn with chaat masala, two cans of Red Bull and a chicken dish. I ordered two pints of Kingfisher Mild beer. The waiter took the menu away after a few minutes. I didn't examine the menu closely, assuming the total cost would be between Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000, as I had been to pubs before," he added.

According to Jadhav, suddenly sparklers appeared out of nowhere. "There was no celebration, so I assumed it was a complimentary gesture. Around 7.15 pm, the waiter approached me, asking if I was on a budget. When I said no, he informed me that we had ordered items worth Rs 45,000. I was shocked, as the pub was not a fine-dining establishment. In fact, the infrastructure was quite poor. I wanted to leave immediately. I told her not to order anything else. When the bill arrived, it was Rs 55,248. She took the bill from me, pretending to verify if the place was indeed expensive. At that point, I still believed we were on a genuine date," he said.

Jadhav said after paying the bill, which Manisha pocketed, without asking any questions and left. "She arranged for an auto driver to drop me off at DN Nagar Metro station. In a confused state, I looked up reviews of the place on my way to the Metro station to learn that several others had been scammed the same way at the Godfather. The Tinder profile was deleted, leaving me with no proof of the bill except for my credit card
statement," he said.

‘Two cans of Red Bull made me Rs 1,800 poorer'

The profile of the woman the 30-year-old matched with; (right) The bill generated by the staff

Victim 2
A 30-year-old alleged victim said, "On August 4, I was lured to the Godfather by a woman I met on a dating app. She ordered a pizza, Blue Label pegs and two cans of Red Bull, which alone cost Rs 1,800." Though the billed amount was Rs 39,241, the man left after paying Rs 38,000.

‘Rs 35,949 bill didn't seem unusual to her'

The call centre employee with Komal, whom he met on Tinder; (right) The bill, which was paid entirely by the 30-year-old man

Victim 3
A 30-year-old call centre employee alleged he was similarly lured to the Godfather after matching with one Komal on Tinder on July 22. "The bill came up to Rs 35,949. This did not seem unusual to her. After leaving the club, she said she needed to rush home as her sister was pregnant. I then reported the incident at Amboli police station. Later that night, Komal messaged me again, asking for Rs 5,000," he said. He added, "Women are using dating apps to lure young men."

‘Have gathered ample evidence. Totally ready to help police'

Anushkaa's Tinder profile; (right) The woman claimed she was from Delhi and staying in the city with her aunt and cousin

Victim 4
A 29-year-old Kurla-based software engineer said he matched with one Anushkaa on Tinder on August 2. "She insisted on going to the Godfather, claiming her cousin had recommended it. The bill came up to R8,535. The hookah was billed as a cocktail and priced at Rs 5,000," he said.

He added that he had gathered audio and video evidence. "There are stories of individuals being scammed of much larger sums. There are also serious concerns about the safety of individuals at such establishments. I am in touch with other victims and have compiled their statements. I am willing to help the police," he said.

‘Hope cops crack down on racket'

The bill paid by the Ghatkopar resident

Victim 5
A 29-year-old Ghatkopar local working in the Indian Navy said on July 27, like the others, he was allegedly lured to the Godfather after befriending one Manisha on Tinder.

"A bill of Rs 39,300 was prepared, and the club members coerced me into paying via credit card. Later, when I reviewed my statement, I discovered that the payment had gone to a company called Spy Technology Limited in Delhi," he said.

"During the date, one Abhijeet Sadke approached me and took R999 from me. Manisha repeatedly called him by my name in the club, leading me to suspect that she knew him. I have filed an online complaint mentioning the woman's name and number with the police (a copy of which is with mid-day), requesting that this racket be investigated and strict action be taken against those involved," he added.

‘Could be conspiracy'

Akash Singh, the owner of Godfather Club & Lounge, said, "Our competitor planned this. They purposely defamed our club. We have nothing to do with the women mentioned in the story. We have even put up a sign stating that all couples are welcome, and we do not charge them fees. We have received such complaints at frequent intervals, which suggests that this could be a conspiracy."

mid-day asked the owner whether the staff was aware women were leaving while bills were being paid and if so, why were they not confronted when they returned to the club with other men. Singh was also asked if there might be collusion between women and club staff, but he simply stated that he had no information about this.

Heed these warnings

Their hard-earned cash swindled in a matter of minutes, dating app users have been taking to the internet and food delivery apps to recount their harrowing experiences in significant detail in the hope that others avoid their fate. Here are some reviews mid-day came across:

Scammers..!!!
. Please be aware, that scammer girls will take you on a date at this place & you'll end up paying high bills - they have 2 rate cards - she orders hookah R5000, n blue label, and other drinks she'll order… AVOID GOING TO THIS PLACE scammers..!!!

Please be aware, that scammer girls will take you on a date at this place & you'll end up paying high bills - they have 2 rate cards - she ordered hookah R5000, n blue label, and other drinks she'll order… AVOID GOING TO THIS PLACE

. It's a scammers club. The girl will ask you for a date here and in no time the bill will go up to 25k… they charge the hookah 5k and only 2 normal brand whiskey costs will go to 5k plus 1800/- for 2 Red Bull ... ..It's run by scammers …. Can't understand why Zomato is not taking action after so many reviews by the customers….

. Please be aware, that scammer girls will take you on a date at this place & you'll end up paying high bills - they have 2 rate cards - she ordered hookah R5000, n blue label, and other drinks she'll order… AVOID GOING TO THIS PLACE

. The setup is made in such a way that the girl will approach you and insist you meet at this pub and force you to order from here. You would be served a different menu card wherein the amount would be amicably high as compared to other pubs. The girl would force you to order an expensive drink and would try to make your bill to 10 to 15k.

Scam alert!!
. Please be aware of the scam going around this club, they have set up a plan with a girl with whom you can get along on Bumble. The girl would insist to visit this place exactly at the preferred time and when you reach the destination, you would order anything you want but please be aware that the price of a water bottle here is Rs 230 which is just a new rate for the date, next when you order a hookah the price would be R5000/- but I was aware of such shit things happening around so I just paid the price of the water bottle and exited the club, the girl (scamster) disappeared as I exited. Do avoid such clubs initiating "scams".

. This place was worse they have girls kept to attract you and they will make your bill very big also they cheat on bills like 5 drinks the bill will be for 10 drinks even though they do not accept Zomato payments also I'll ask for drinks the rates are for 30 ml and you have order that and while bill they claim like it was 60 ml but it's not it was 30 ml and never order Hookah it's will cost you 5k seriously and the rate aren't mentioned anywhere so I will suggest never go to this place.

. WARNING TO ALL GUYS! This place is a big scam! Please read all the reviews many guys have experienced being scammed at this place. The staff is involved in these scams where everything is planned. If you match with a girl on a dating app, they will meet you outside this place and take you here. They have a separate menu for these girls who take guys inside...