The dating app fraud reported in Sadar area is turning bigger as the police now confirmed that more than half-a-dozen young men have already been cheated in the same “restaurant trap” over the past two weeks. After the complaint by Harshad Narendra Hatwar, police have uncovered a pattern in which victims were lured through dating apps and forced to pay heavy food and liquor bills at Suaa Club-Restro. A senior police officer said the accused — a restaurant owner and a woman — had carefully planned the fraud as the business was not doing well. “Due to low footfall, they created a trap to make easy money.

 

So far, more than six youths have been cheated using the same method,” the officer said. Police investigations revealed that the woman used multiple SIM cards and created fake profiles on different dating platforms, including ‘Happn’. She introduced herself with different names and quickly built trust with targets. After chatting for a few hours, she would invite the men for a date at a fixed location. From there, she insisted on going to the same restaurant. Once inside, she ordered expensive food and multiple rounds of whisky. By the time the bill arrived, it would run into tens of thousands of rupees. When the victims objected, they were allegedly threatened by the restaurant staff. In the earlier reported case, Harshad was forced to pay Rs 34,213 after being intimidated by restaurant owner Akash Gajbhiye, manager Supriya Gajbhiye, and bouncer Ujjwalkumar Raj.

 

The woman disappeared during the incident. Police believe similar tactics were used on other victims, who quietly paid the bills out of fear and embarrassment. Officials said this type of fraud is emerging in several cities like Hyderabad, Pune, and Mumbai, and Nagpur is now seeing a similar pattern. The restaurant had reportedly obtained a liquor licence only six months ago and was earlier operating on a temporary basis. Police have started identifying other victims and are examining digital evidence, including call records and app data, to trace the full network. 

 

 

Police said many victims are not coming forward due to fear of social stigma. “We understand the hesitation, but people should report such crimes. Their identity will be kept confidential,” an officer said. The plice believe the number of victims could rise as more people gather courage to file complaints.