Tinder Date Goes Wrong in Delhi: Civil Service Aspirant Forced To Pay INR 1.2 Lakh Bill at Black Mirror Cafe After Woman He Met on Dating App Leaves ‘Abruptly’, One Arrested
The date took a sinister turn when Versha 'abruptly' left, claiming a family emergency, leaving the man with a bill amounting to INR 1,21,917.70 for snacks, cakes, and non-alcoholic beverages, far exceeding reasonable costs
Delhi, June 29: Are modern dating apps becoming playgrounds for sophisticated scams? In a chilling incident at the Black Mirror Cafe on Vikas Marg, East Delhi, a civil service aspirant found himself ensnared in a meticulously planned trap after connecting with "Versha" on Tinder. What began as a promising date quickly turned into a nightmare when the victim was forced into paying a bill of INR 1.2 lakh for a modest meal after his date left "abruptly". The date was orchestrated by the cafe owners, leveraging fake profiles and emotional manipulation to scam unsuspecting victims.
According to a report by NDTV, the victim, whose identity has not been disclosed by the police, connected with a woman named Versha on the dating app Tinder and agreed to celebrate her birthday at Black Mirror Cafe in East Delhi's Vikas Marg area on Sunday, June 23. The date took a sinister turn when Versha "abruptly" left, claiming a family emergency, leaving the man with a bill amounting to INR 1,21,917.70 for snacks, cakes, and non-alcoholic beverages, far exceeding reasonable costs. Bumble Date Goes Wrong in Delhi: Man 'Tricked' Into Paying Unfair Bill at Rajouri Garden Restaurant by Girl He Met Online, Dating App Responds to Viral Post.
The victim, shocked by the exorbitant bill, was allegedly threatened and confined until he transferred the amount online to one of the cafe's owners, identified as 32-year-old Akshay Pahwa from Shahdara. Following the ordeal, the victim reported the incident to the police, leading to the arrest of Pahwa and the revelation of a sophisticated scam operation. Police investigations revealed that the cafe, co-owned by Akshay Pahwa along with Ansh Grover and Vansh Pahwa, employed individuals like Aryan, who posed as Versha and communicated with victims to orchestrate the scam. Tinder, Bumble Dating Apps Scam: 3 Hyderabad Men Lose Rs 20 to 40K After Getting Conned by Same Woman They Matched on Dating Apps, Modus Operandi Post Goes Viral.
The operation involved creating fake profiles on dating apps to lure men into cafes where they were overcharged, with proceeds divided among the scam's perpetrators. The scam, reportedly spanning multiple metro cities, including Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, exploits vulnerabilities and social stigmas associated with online dating. Police investigations have highlighted the role of fake profiles, coercive tactics, and strategic cafe placements in duping victims.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 29, 2024 01:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).