Friends help expose Tinder cafe scam in Mumbai, eight arrested

After a man was cheated through a Tinder-linked date scam in Mumbai, his friends helped set up a decoy operation that led to a police raid and the arrest of eight suspects.

A dating app scam in Mumbai was exposed after a group of friends decided to help police trap the people allegedly behind it. According to the report, the case came to light after one man was cheated through Tinder and his friends later created profiles on the app to trace the same network. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

One of the friends then acted as a decoy and went on a date with a woman connected to the alleged racket. The meeting took place near Sakinaka and moved to a cafe in Andheri East. During the date, the woman reportedly ordered multiple tequila shots in less than an hour, and the bill allegedly rose to around Rs 18,616. When the amount became clear, police were alerted and carried out a raid at the venue. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

The article says the suspected modus operandi involved fake profiles of women on Tinder used to lure men to a specific establishment. Once there, victims were allegedly pressured into ordering expensive drinks and food, before being forced to pay heavily inflated bills. Some victims who resisted were reportedly threatened by staff and bouncers, including threats that false sexual assault allegations could be used against them. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Police registered a case under relevant criminal provisions and the Information Technology Act. Eight people were arrested, while officials said two or three more suspects were still being sought. Investigators also believe the main accused is linked to a wider group and that the scam had resurfaced after earlier crackdowns on similar dating-app frauds in Mumbai and nearby areas. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}