The Godfather Club in Mumbai's Andheri West has come under investigation following allegations of its involvement in a dating app scam that has reportedly duped several men of substantial sums of money.
The alleged scam came to light when journalist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj raised the issue on social media platform X on Friday, drawing the attention of authorities to its modus operandi.
According to her findings, men have been lured into scams after connecting with women on popular dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble. The women then, without delay, ask to go on dates with their matches at the Godfather Club or other nearby venues.
Once the women reach the location, they allegedly order expensive items not listed on the menu, spend some time with their dates, and then abruptly leave, leaving the men responsible for paying unexpectedly large bills ranging from INR 23,000 to 61,000.
Women involved in scam receive commission
The women involved in the scam reportedly receive a commission of 15 to 20 percent of the total bill.
In her post, Bhardwaj claimed that while she has exposed many clubs in the past, The Godfather Club seems to have taken the magnitude of the scam to another level by duping at least 10 men daily. She further claimed that, despite many people filing cyber complaints and calling the police on the spot, the scam continues unabated.
"I've exposed many clubs, but this one seems to be the 'baap' of all. Nothing less than 10 targets daily. Many people have filed cyber complaints, called the cops on the spot, and told these girls they'd be exposed, but it continues. How are you still listing them @zomato despite such reviews?" wrote Bhardwaj.
Bhardwaj further stated that, although these men have posted about their ordeal and the alleged scam that happened to them, the Mumbai police have not taken any action.
"Exactly the same stories posted by hundreds of men, but @MumbaiPolice @CPMumbaiPolice seem to be snoozing. It's happening right under Bandra Police's nose, but they don't care to investigate even after formal complaints were lodged by victims the last time I exposed another club."
"Formal complaints were lodged online. Are cyber complaints taken so that they hibernate in the systems @MumbaiPolice? Does this not look like organized crime to you, or should we believe that you have some special interest in protecting these scammers? ... These aren't men scamming men in the guise of women online. These are real women confidently scamming a guy every single day. Some guys did try to report them, but then the woman card came into play, and they got scared!!!" Bhardwaj wrote further.
In addition to this, victims who have challenged the charges reportedly face threats from the club's staff or bouncers. Due to concerns over personal exposure, many of the affected men have chosen not to report these incidents to the police.
Bhardwaj has urged law enforcement to take action against establishments engaging in such fraudulent activities.
Reports further reveal that certain nightclubs in Mumbai may be employing similar tactics to exploit male dating app users financially. These clubs allegedly hire public relations personnel who recruit women to engage with men on dating platforms like Tinder, Bumble, Happn, and QuackQuack.
Reacting to Bhardwaj’s posts, the Mumbai police stated in a post on X that the concerned police station has been informed about the alleged scam and an investigation is currently underway.
