Mid-Day Investigation: Hit hard in Mumbai, dating app scam moves to Thane

The complainant said no FIR was registered despite him pleading with cops. Representation pic

After mid-day exposed the dating app scam in Mumbai city and surrounding areas, new information has emerged about people running similar scams in Thane-based clubs. The incident came to light last month after a fresh online complaint was filed with the Thane police by a 25-year-old man who was allegedly duped of Rs 39,000. The man claims that the woman he met on an online dating platform ordered food and drinks at Glitte The Super Club in Thane and parted ways soon after he was forced to pay the exorbitant bill amount. The complainant told mid-day that even the cops were uncooperative and refused to register an FIR, with one of them allegedly telling him not to pursue the matter further.

On the condition of anonymity, the victim told mid-day, "I befriended a woman named Sanjana on the Bumble dating app on October 24. We started chatting and exchanged mobile numbers. She asked to meet her in Thane near ‘Gaurav Sweets' in Manpada locality. We met on October 25 and she took me to the Glitte club. She ordered drinks and food, and we sat there for almost an hour before deciding to move elsewhere. When the bill came, I was shocked to see a charge of almost Rs 40,000. When I raised objections, I was pressured by the bouncer and the club staff. They forcibly collected the bill from me, which I had paid using my credit card while the woman stood by silently.

The woman ordered expensive food and drinks which the victim was forced to pay for. Representation pic

According to the complainant, after they left the club and were driving to some other place, the woman suddenly got out of the car saying she got a call from her father and had to leave. "When I called her number, her phone was switched off. I realised that I had been duped as I had read about the dating app scam in the news," he said.

The man called the police helpline number and informed them about the scam after which three police personnel arrived and spoke with the club manager. The man was then taken on the bike of one of the policemen to Chitalsar Manpada police station.

"I provided a detailed account of the incident and requested that an FIR be filed for the fraudulent practices of the club. However, none of the officers on duty were willing to proceed with filing the FIR. One officer even informed me that the club is allegedly owned by a politician and suggested that I avoid pursuing the matter further. Despite spending nearly two hours at the station trying to convince the officers about the severity of this issue, my request for an FIR was denied," the complainant said.

"The activities of Glitte The Super Club strongly resemble the recent scandal uncovered at a club in Andheri West, where patrons were similarly forced to pay exorbitant bills. The police had raided that establishment and shut it down," he told mid-day.

The complainant also allegedly called the police control 20-25 times and informed them, but to no avail. Later, he filed a complaint on the police website. "I got a call three days later and was told that my case would be investigated and that if it was deemed necessary to register an FIR, one would be registered. But there is still no progress."

"I urge the police to take immediate action against Glitte The Super Club and all individuals involved in this scam. Their unethical and illegal practices are not only defrauding customers but also undermining public trust. Kindly register an FIR regarding this incident and ensure a thorough investigation is conducted to bring the perpetrators to justice. I am available to provide further details or cooperate in the investigation as needed," the complainant appealed to the police.

Men's rights activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj said, "A dating scam has started once again in clubs in the vicinity of Mumbai (Thane) within months of two clubs being booked by police in Mumbai. Victims are being threatened that politically influential people own these clubs and they shouldn't complain. It is disturbing that people are being duped and then misled by the police. Who should people approach against such frauds?"

Praful Patkar, general manager of Glitte The Super Club, told mid-day: "The allegations against the club are false. Nothing of this sort happens here… you can come and check at any time. I have heard of such scams happening at clubs but it doesn't happen at our club."

Countering this claim, the complainant said, "The payment I made using my credit card was not credited to the club's account but instead went into the account of some ‘Hari Fruit And Vegetable'. This indicates that the club is engaging in fraudulent activities. I even reported this to the police, but they haven't taken any action."