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The restaurant bills show hefty amounts that men paid on dates. (Photo Credits: X)
A journalist shared a series of tweets accusing a Mumbai-based restaurant of scamming men through fake dates.
While swiping right on dating apps may seem like the “right thing,” many are unaware of the sinister plots they might be entering, “carefully planned to scam men looking for love”. Dating app scams have surged in India recently, with people creating fake profiles and luring individuals into expensive traps, exploiting their emotions and trust. Journalist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj recently highlighted these scams, revealing how a Mumbai-based restaurant has been a part of the scheme.
The Godfather Club, located in Mumbai’s Andheri West, has come under scrutiny following Bhardwaj’s viral post on social media. According to the post, the scam begins on popular dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, and OKCupid, where men are invited on dates to the chosen venue, often the restaurant in question.
After meeting, the women intentionally order expensive items that are not on the menu, spend some time with the dates, and abruptly leave. However, the worst comes later, as the men are left with nothing but bills of up to Rs 61,000. Bhardwaj even shared pictures of the restaurant bills in her post.
Exposing the Mumbai dating scam at the restaurant, she added that 12 victims are in touch while three men have been trapped by the same girl with bills amounting between Rs 23,000 and Rs 61,000. The traps are usually laid through Tinder and Bumble. In the following tweets, Bhardwaj explained how the scam works. Beginning with connecting on the dating app, the individuals are pushed for quick meetings at certain venues, specifically The Godfather.
Upon meeting, the girl orders drinks, hookah, fire shots, and other items without showing the menu card to the other person. Within an hour, he is given an expensive bill and the girl absconds. Left with no other option, the guys are forced to pay the money or are beaten up by the bouncers.
Mentioning that many people have posted about their ordeals about the alleged scam, Bhardwaj also stated that the Mumbai Police is yet to take any action. “Exactly same stories posted by hundreds of men but @MumbaiPolice @CPMumbaiPolice seem to be snoozing Happening right under Bandra Police nose but they don’t care to investigate even after formal complaints lodged by victims the last time I exposed other clubs,” she wrote.
Her post has sparked an intense discussion on the internet, as similar incidents have also been reported across other major cities like Delhi, Bengaluru, Gurugram and Hyderabad.