Three young professionals recently fell victim to a dating app scam. A girl was found connected to the victims via various dating apps. She allegedly took them to the Red Room Pub in Andheri West on different occasions, ordered lots of hard drinks, food and hookah, before disappearing, leaving behind huge bills.
The scam came to light when men’s rights activist Deepika Bhardwaj posted on X (formerly Twitter) about the incidents two days ago. Hema Chowdhary, one of the pub’s owners, has denied all allegations.
In April, a 32-year-old banker was introduced to a 26-year-old woman, Manasi Karma, a makeup artist. They met at Infinity Mall in Andheri West and she insisted they go to the Red Room Pub. The victim claimed that she ordered drinks, prawns and salad, hookah for herself; all billed at Rs43,000. However, the woman disappeared on the pretext of an emergency. The victim wanted to pay online, but the waiter demanded cash. On persuasion, he was allowed to pay digitally. He said that her photo online was different from her social avatar.
Another similar incident occurred with a 33-year-old who works with an NGO. In March, he connected with a 26-year-old woman (Tanvi) via a dating app. She told him she had come from Delhi searching for a job. They met at the same place, girl ordered lavishly; all billed at Rs24,000. She pretended to call her friend for help and left the pub. The victim was allegedly beaten up by the waiters when he couldn’t pay. He paid Rs13,000, and his uncle sent Rs6,000 online. He reported the incident to the deputy commissioner of police, who advised him to file a complaint with Amboli police.
The third victim, a 30-year-old man, had a similar encounter with a 25-year-old woman, who introduced herself as a makeup artist from Delhi. The bill for their meeting at the same pub was Rs8,800 and he asked her to pay half. She went to the washroom and never returned.
Deepika Bhardwaj, a journalist and social activist, alleged, “Several men have been scammed similarly here. These women are engaged by the club to trap men through dating apps, and expensive liquor to inflate the bill. The girl leaves making an excuse, and the men are beaten up or threatened. I hope the Mumbai Police take strict action. The pattern is the same as in Delhi, Hyderabad and other cities. After I exposed a scam in Hyderabad, DCP Cyberabad took suo motu cognisance, leading to FIRs and arrests. Lakhs were recovered from those involved."
Hema Chowdhary, the pub’s co-owner, denied the allegations. She said, “We charge as per the rules and prices are listed on the menu. Our staff is not involved in any scam. The men should file a case against dating apps instead of us. No one beats up any customer, there are CCTVs installed. If they do not have the money, they should go to a less expensive restaurant. They should have approached the police instead of an activist.”
