Dating app scam: Mumbai cops shut down one restaurant

The Godfather club in Andheri. Pic/Aditi Haralkar

After mid-day exposed the dating app scam operating at various clubs across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, the Mumbai police quickly intervened and ordered the shutdown of the Andheri-based Godfather Club and Lounge. The police instructed the club to suspend operations until their preliminary investigations are completed. As a result, the Godfather club has been closed for the past three days.

On Monday, the mid-day team visited the Godfather Club & Lounge at Crystal Paradise on Veera Desai Road, and found the establishment closed. When speaking to the security guard stationed there, the reporter was informed that the club had been shut for three days, but the guard had no knowledge of the reasons behind the closure.

Speaking to mid-day, Akash Singh, the owner of Godfather Club & Lounge, said, "The Amboli police instructed us to close the club for investigation purposes. That is why we shut it down."

Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj, men's rights activist and filmmaker

A source within the club industry told mid-day that while the closure may be temporary, those involved in such scams are often very cunning. After lying low for a few days, they typically reopen under a new name and with different staff, making it difficult for regular patrons to notice any change. This tactic is reportedly used not only in Mumbai but across various cities in India.

A Mumbai cop from Amboli police station said, "More victims have approached us after the FIR was registered regarding the dating app scam. We have asked all victims to appear on Wednesday to record their statements."

"We are examining CCTV footage, bills, entry registers, call records, and the club's bank details. Additionally, we are investigating the scammer girls' chats to determine how many people they contacted and how many victims they met at this club. We are also tracing the financial transactions to identify which bank accounts received the money paid by the victims," a police source added.

Many victims expressed their dissatisfaction with the police, claiming that their statements were not recorded by the Amboli police on Sunday and Monday. They also told mid-day that the authorities are not treating the case with the seriousness it deserves and are not properly investigating it. Several victims have provided their contact details but are still waiting to be called by the Amboli police.

mid-day investigation, conducted since July 30, covered three clubs: Godfather Club and Lounge in Andheri, Vente Pa'Ca Nightclub in Vashi, and Matahaari Club at Atria Mall in Worli. The women invited mid-day reporters to these clubs on the first date, ordered expensive drinks, food, and hookahs, and racked up hefty bills. In many cases, the women would leave the club before the bills were paid.

While Vente Pa'Ca Nightclub and Matahaari Club remain operational, the Godfather Club is currently shut.

The scam is still being pulled off in Mumbai, with several women luring male dating app users to meet near the DN Nagar Metro station.

Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj, men's rights activist and filmmaker, said, "The scam happening at Godfather is the tip of the iceberg. There are multiple clubs in Mumbai where this scam is running and many more victims are reaching out after the exposé. Mumbai police registered an FIR only after the matter was highlighted by several people. This is a huge nexus operating across Mumbai. I really hope that Mumbai police get to the depth of it and reach the persons behind this entire scam. The financial trail of this scam needs to be followed to determine its scale.

While these clubs are located in Mumbai, payments are going to multiple accounts in Delhi. I would also encourage everyone who has been trapped like this to approach the police and lodge a complaint."

3
No. of days the Godfather club is shut