Tinder Dating Scam: IAS Aspirant Falls Victim, Woman Arrested

A civil service aspirant from Delhi was scammed out of Rs 1.20 lakh at a cafe due to a Tinder scam. Dating app scams in cities are on the rise, and victims are tricked into paying large sums of money under the guise of a date.

Recently, A civil service aspirant turned into the victim of a Tinder scam in Delhi paying a 1.20 lakh bill in a cafe. The victim met the accused via the Tinder app and they communicated through WhatsApp and calls after the woman got the number from the victim.

Delhi Date Scam:

In this case, the girl who introduced herself as Versha convinced the civil service aspirant to meet her in Black Mirror cafe in East Delhi's Vikas Marg area on June 23 to celebrate her birthday. 

In the Black Mirror cafe, Versha and the victim ordered some snacks, two cakes, and four shots of a non-alcoholic beverage. Suddenly, Versha left the boy there, stating she was in an emergency situation, and rushed out of the cafe.

After she left, the bill arrived, shocking the civil service aspirant. The bill for their order was Rs 1,21,917.70 and he was threatened to pay the bill. So, after paying the bill, the victim reached out to the police, which unveiled a major scam involving the cafe and its apps. 

The Arrest:

The police arrested the owners of the Black Mirror Cafe Akshay Pahwa, a 32-year-old from Shahdara, East Delhi; his cousin Vansh Pahwa; and their friend, Ansh Grover.

During the investigation, it was discovered that Versha's real identity is Afsan Parveen, and the cafe's app shared 15 percent of the victim's bill with Parveen. She was arrested while on another "date" with a boy introduced to her through the Shaadi.com app.

How The Scam Works:

A victim matches with a woman on a dating app such as Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, or OKCupid. The woman quickly exchanges WhatsApp numbers and arranges a date. She insists on meeting at a specific locality known for its cafés and pubs, and she chooses the café for the date.

During the date, the woman orders items not listed on the menu, sometimes fabricates an emergency, and abruptly leaves. When the bill arrives, the victim finds it significantly higher than expected. 

Attempts to dispute the bill are met with threats from café staff or bouncers, forcing the victim to pay. Many victims hesitate to involve the police due to the fear of revealing their use of dating apps.