Delhi journalist trapped in dating scam, lost more than Rs 15,000

Scammers and cyber fraud are upscaling with every passing time, and recently, a news surfaced where a Delhi-based journalist met a woman via Bumble dating app. He stated that they started talking because the woman claimed to be looking for a ‘meaningful connection’. When they met for their first physical date, he said that she abandoned it mid-way after making him place an order for food and drinks, after which he ended up paying more than Rs 15,000, and then she went ‘incognito’.

The journalist spoke about the incident on the social media platform where Archit Gupta shared the details, describing it as "not just a fraud but emotional harassment".

Bumble scam

The woman named Divya Sharma (fake name, later identified as Aifya by the Truecaller) initiated to communicate with Archit, on the dating app, expressing her interest to find a meaningful connection.

What exactly happened?

After a while, they met at "The Race Lounge and Bar" based in Rajouri Garden, West Delhi for establishment. Gupta made a reservation, where he allegedly ordered around Rs 16,000 for drinks and food.

Journalist’s confession on social media

On X ( formerly known as Twitter), Gupta wrote, "I thought, let's take a chance on Bumble and see if there is a genuine person to date. A girl named Divya Sharma (fake name) approached me and asked me to meet her at Rajouri Garden. She convinced me that she was looking for something meaningful.”

After returning from the restroom, Gupta saw that the bill was not there on the table.

He further wrote, "She took me to a bar, The Race Lounge and Bar. Despite not being convinced of the place, Aifya (her real name, as per Truecaller) insisted that I sit there. She ordered some drinks for herself. I don't drink, so I just ordered a Red Bull. The bill for a hookah, 2-3 glasses of wine, 1 vodka shot, chicken tikka, and a water bottle was Rs 15,886.”

"I was shocked after seeing the bill. I paid for the bill. They tapped my card four times as there was some issue with their machine. Before leaving the place, I went to the washroom, and upon returning, I realised that the bill I left on the table was not there. She insisted on leaving the place, saying that her brother is coming to pick her up. When I came home, I realised that this is a scam.

"I checked, and she had just disappeared and was not picking up my calls. Then I searched and found a story on a media outlet, and I got to know about how these clubs and bars are hiring girls and doing this fraud. This is not just about money; this is emotional and mental abuse for a person who thinks that the person sitting in front of him is genuine. I investigated the whole thing and found some reviews on the Google page of that lounge.”

How did Gupta seek for assistance?

Gupta recounted his attempts to seek assistance from the Axis Bank credit card helpline and the cyber police helpline after witnessing the lack of the authority's response.

He claimed, "In the reviews, many people described how they were forced to pay an unfair bill. Many people are scammed by these clubs. Late at night, I called the Axis Bank credit card helpline and put the payment in dispute. I called the cyber police helpline many times but got no response.”

Gupta claimed that scam rackets further involve the force of contributors through hired bouncers, which is very common in a number of cafes and clubs based in the Rajouri Garden area of Delhi.

He further stated, "This post is not about how I lost my money; this is about these people fooling many boys, and this is not just a fraud; this is emotional harassment. They don't have any fear; they hired bouncers to force people to pay the unfair bill. This whole racket is big, and they are operating in many cafes and clubs in the Rajouri Garden Area.

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Inputs from IANS