Dating App Scam, A shocking scam has emerged targeting men looking for love on dating apps, involving elaborate schemes to deceive and extort unsuspecting victims.
Last Sunday, an unnamed victim went to the Black Mirror Cafe on Vikas Marg in East Delhi to celebrate Varsha’s birthday, whom he had recently connected with on Tinder. Everything seemed fine as they ordered snacks, two cakes, and four non-alcoholic drinks. However, the date took a sudden turn when Varsha had to leave due to a family emergency.
Dating App Scam New Delhi
Dating App Scam Delhi, When the victim asked for the bill after finishing their meal, he was stunned to receive a bill totaling ₹1,20,000.00 for their simple meal, which should have cost only a fraction of that amount.
Protesting the exorbitant bill, the victim was intimidated, restrained, and pressured into paying. He transferred the amount online to Akshay Pahwa, a 32-year-old co-owner of the cafe in Shahdara, East Delhi, who has education up to the 10th grade. Disturbed by the incident, the victim immediately reported it to the police, leading to the detention of Mr. Pahwa.
During investigations, Mr. Pahwa disclosed that the cafe’s owners, Ansh Grover and his step-brother Vansh Pahwa, were involved. Ansh was acquainted with the victim. The cafe employs several “table managers,” including Aryan, who has limited education and is currently unemployed, overseen by Digvanshu.
Delhi Dating App Scam Police Investigation
Dating App Scam, Mr. Pahwa also implicated Afsana Parveen, known as Ayesha or Noor, who was involved in a similar scam with another man she met on Shaadi.com at a cafe in Mumbai. Ms. Parveen explained her strategy to the police. Aryan had impersonated Varsha, conversing with the victim and showing him a one-time photo of Ms. Parveen, inviting him to celebrate his birthday on June 23 in Laxmi Nagar.
At the cafe, Ms. Parveen staged a sudden family emergency and left abruptly, leaving the victim to foot the enormous bill. Each participant received a share: 15% went to Ms. Parveen, 45% was divided among cafe and table managers, and the remaining 40% was kept by the owners.
Dating App Scam, Police warned that such scams are prevalent in major cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, targeting unsuspecting men who swipe right on seemingly perfect profiles on dating apps.
Dating App Scam, “Table managers” create fake profiles to lure men to cafes where they are overcharged for meals. Refusal to pay results in threats, physical assault, or even confinement until payment is made. Authorities urged victims to come forward and report such incidents to combat the social stigma preventing many from seeking justice against such crimes.
Dating App Scam,Along with seizing their phones and the cafe’s register, the police also arrested Mr. Pahwa and Ms. Parveen. The police stated that the investigation is ongoing and that efforts are being made to apprehend further implicated parties.
