The Madhapur Police in Hyderabad have arrested seven individuals involved in an elaborate online dating scam, which came to light after a man was trapped and forced to pay Rs40,505 at a pub in Gachibowli on June 6. After the victim checked Google reviews for the pub, he discovered that others had reported similar scams, revealing a coordinated effort to extort money from businessmen.
The accused, identified as Aakash Kumar, Suraj Kumar, Akshat Narula, Tarun, Shiv Raj Nayak, Rohith Kumar, and Cherkupally Sai Kumar, were arrested in Nagpur following a police investigation. The scam’s modus operandi was revealed by DCP (Madhapur) Dr. G. Vineeth, who explained that the gang used online dating apps to lure unsuspecting customers. The victims were invited to Mosh Pub in Madhapur, where they were pressured into purchasing expensive alcoholic drinks. The total amount defrauded in the operation is estimated to be around Rs30 lakh from 50 to 60 victims.
The investigation uncovered that the accused operated a nightclub called Devils Night Club in Delhi, where they recruited women looking for work. These women’s profiles were then used to attract men on dating apps. Suraj Kumar played a central role by chatting with men on dating apps, pretending to be a woman. After engaging with victims, the women would arrange to meet at a café before coercing the men to go to the pub.
Once at the pub, the victims would be served overpriced drinks, running up substantial bills. The women would disappear after the bill was tallied, leaving the men to foot the entire cost. The gang would then split the payments, including a share for the pub owners, the organizers, and the women involved.
The scam, which had previously been executed in Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, was also planned for Nagpur before the arrests took place. The police were alerted by several victims, prompting further investigation into the criminal activities.
