A new scam wave has been seen in the country where women lure men through dating apps and connive with them financially. such as godfather club bar owner. These scams target unsuspecting men who are lured to a specific venue to meet. Once there, they are forced to spend huge amounts of money on overpriced drinks and food.
It is said that these women worked with some bar and tavern owners so that their targets would be exploited the maximum financially. This trend has raised concerns about the safety of dating platforms as well as ethical practices within some hospitality industries.
In cities such as Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai, such incidents have been reported. The most recent happened in Mumbai at Godfather’s Club In Andheri. The scam was exposed following a social media post being shared widely. Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj an activist posted it on X.
Bhardwaj explains that this scam started on popular dating apps like TinderBumble, Hinge and OKCupid. Women connect with men who show interest in meeting quickly. They often choose a place near Godfather Club or similar locations for dates. According to reports, these women ordered things which were not available on its menu including expensive brands of alcohol or shisha. While they want to make an impression, they do not know what costly traps are lying ahead of them.
According to Bhardwaj’s post, “Women connect with men who quickly express interest in meeting.” A lot of times girls choose The Godfather’s Club or other nearby places alike”. Once there, each order these expensive items made by women becomes part of a large bill that leaves guys unexpectedly broke. At the end this strategy left those men bankrupt since many ended up paying for unlisted charges.
This scheme exploits individuals who are keen on impressing others and building relationships by taking advantage of their naivety towards financial aspect whatsoever further complicated by women opting for expensive unadvertised products. Even in innocently looking social interactions through dating apps, this scam shows that caution and knowledge are important.
After placing the order, women suddenly leave saying there is an emergency leaving men with huge bills. Bhardwaj shares photos of receipts showing these bill amounts ranging from Rs 23,000 to Rs 61,000. Club staff or bouncers threaten these people when they refuse to pay after protesting. This results in fear and shame as they have no option but to pay lest they be thrown out by the club security.
“The amounts involved were staggering, with bills ranging from Rs 23,000 to Rs 61,000 as evidenced by the photos of the receipts shared by Ms Bhardwaj.”
According to reports, these men faced intimidation during their attempts to challenge the charges. However, it is club staff or bouncers who have resorted into issuing threats against these people forcing them to clear the bill for fear of provoking more trouble. For a number of men affected in this surprising instance of extortion it meant financial ruin and disgrace.
Godfather Club Mumbai has been accused of scams on dating apps as well as high bills charged at its premises scenario. Other big cities including Delhi, Gurugram, Bangalore, Hyderabad have had similar incidents before.
Earlier this year in June a job-seeker applying for civil services in Delhi was cheated off INR 1.20 Lacs at one city’s famous bars through online dating.
Agencies reportedly exploit unsuspecting victims using dating apps thus making this issue quite prevalent and alarming within urban India itself.
