Dating app scam probe: Two city clubs get notices for duping men on dating apps

An image shared by a complainant of a woman he met on a dating app at the Red Room in Andheri West

The police have zeroed in on two nightclubs in Andheri and one in Charkop, Kandivli West, where unsuspecting men were allegedly lured by women whom they met on dating apps. The Amboli and Bangur Nagar police issued summons to the owners of the Andheri establishments and were in the process of sending a notice to the other one on Sunday. The authorities have begun recording the statements of victims, but many are refusing to testify.

Summons have been issued to the owners of the clubs, Godfather and Red Room. Once we interrogate them with all the evidence available, the next course of action will be decided," an officer who is part of the investigations revealed. While the Amboli police are yet to make any headway in the case, in simultaneous investigations, the Bangur Nagar police picked up six suspects during a raid on a Goregaon hotel on September 4. The accused, Swapan Saini, 21; Shahbaz Khan, 20; Ayush Chaudhry, 20; Saral Kumar Singh, 18; and two women, are currently in police custody.

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The investigation

The police have seized six mobile phones from the accused. While examining these, they discovered a WhatsApp group used by gang members called ‘Team'. The police retrieved the chat history and identified the mastermind and other key associates. Dating apps such as Bumble, Happn, Tinder, 3F, TanTan, Badoo and Boo were also found on their phones.

The Godfather Club & Lounge in Andheri West, which is on the police's radar. File Pic/Satej Shinde

Two fake profiles had been created for one of the arrested women, aged 23, with the names "Divya" and "Soniya" on different dating apps 3F and TanTan. The woman, 18, had fake profiles on Bumble, Tinder and Boo. Chats with two victims who had allegedly been duped in collaboration with club management were found. Aided by information from the seized phones, the police also uncovered records of her commission.

An officer from Bangur Nagar police station stated that the phones of the arrested men also contained several dating apps. Ayush's role was to create fake profiles on dating apps, chat with potential victims, and introduce the women to the targets. The victims were then taken to clubs operated by the gang, where they were allegedly exploited.

The accused

According to the police, Saral and Swapan were close friends of Ayush. The former was in love with the 23-year-old woman who had been thrown out of her home by her family. Saral and Swapan had told Ayush about her plight and he then contacted the gang leader. The leader offered them jobs in clubs and arranged for their flights to Mumbai. Since July, Ayush had been staying with the other accused at the Royal Inn Hotel in Goregaon and working at the Godfather Club.

All the accused come from poor backgrounds and had to take on household responsibilities from a young age, the police said. Ayush previously worked as a painter, while Shahbaz earned just Rs 200 per day at a cardboard box factory in Delhi. Some of their friends had already become involved with dating apps, and after seeing a rapid improvement in their financial situations, Ayush and Shabaz were lured into the same activities.

When they were offered the chance to travel to Mumbai by plane, they couldn't resist and were drawn in by the gang. The accused revealed that the gang leader enticed them with promises of higher earnings and sent them plane tickets. Once in Mumbai, many of them stayed in hotels, paying rent from their daily wages. Initially, they earned Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 per day, but the gang leader took a significant cut from their earnings, leaving them just enough to cover hotel expenses. During periods without work, it became difficult to pay the rent, leading many men to abandon their hotel rooms without settling dues, leaving their belongings behind.

Awaiting payment

The arrested men and women had also accrued outstanding hotel rent, repeatedly asking the mastermind for money to return home. They were waiting for payment at the time of the police raid. The men informed the police that the mastermind lured them with false promises, used them as long as they were useful, and discarded them once their work was done. "More victims are coming forward and their statements are being recorded. Others, who are married are hesitant to do so as they are afraid of soiling their image. We request everyone to approach us," said another officer.

Cop Speak

Anil Thakare, senior inspector, Bangur Nagar police station, said, "Under the guidance of DCP Zone XI, Anand Bhote, our police officers, particularly Bhaskar Kadam and API Vivek Tambe, are conducting a thorough investigation. We have recorded the statements of several victims. While some people are hesitant to come forward, I urge them to do so without fear so that the culprits can be brought to justice and given the harshest punishment."