Hyderabad dating app scam: 7 from Nagpur held; 60 men cheated of Rs 30 lakhs

Hyderabad: Madhapur police apprehended seven persons accused of luring men to Mosh Pub using women and racking up expensive bills which they were forced to pay.

The accused have been identified as Aakash Kumar, Suraj Kumar, Akshat Narula, Tarun, Shiv Raj Nayak, Rohith Kumar and Cherkupally Sai Kumar from Nagpur, Maharashtra. They duped 50-60 customers so far Rs 30 lakhs which they shared among them using dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge and Bumble.

The accused manipulated men on online dating apps to go on dates with beautiful women at Mosh Pub in Madhapur. The women ordered expensive liquors in the pub and the men were forced to pay the costly bills. The case came to light after many victims took to social media to narrate their ordeal and found similarities in how the scam unfolded for them.

Case details

The accused have a club called Devils Night Club in Delhi. In Hyderabad, they would recruit girls and register them on online apps. The women would bring dates to the Mosh Pub and order costly food and beverages. Later, the bill amount would be shared among the pub owner, organisers and women.

They repeated the scam in Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad and were about to do the same in Nagpur. They would select pubs with losses or with poor Google ratings. In this particular pub, the accused operated for 45 days, especially at six weekends.

The police seized eight mobile phones and two four-wheelers from their possession, with a total worth of Rs 40 lakhs.

Public advisory

The members of the public are hereby requested to inform the police regarding information related to gangs who are trapping innocent customers through dating apps, in pubs and bars with women. Dial 100 or use the anti-drug abuse helpline at 9490617182 or Cyberabad WhatsApp at 9490617444. Identity will be kept confidential.