It all started with a swipe.
In the bustling tech hub of Bangalore, a software engineer spent his evenings scrolling through Tinder, like many young singles hoping to spark a connection. Optimistic and patient by nature, he knew that finding a genuine person among countless fake profiles was like finding a needle in a haystack—especially in India, where cheap mobile data has fueled a rise in catfish accounts.
Despite knowing the risks, he continued swiping, chatting, and sometimes even engaging with clearly suspicious profiles, holding onto the sliver of hope that one of them might turn out real.
And one day, it seemed like it did.
He matched with a stunning woman from Delhi. She was talkative, flirtatious, and oozed charm. Almost too good to be true. But she seemed real—too real to ignore. They hit it off quickly, exchanging numbers within days and escalating to steamy late-night WhatsApp chats and video calls. She wasn’t just a fantasy behind a screen anymore.
By Friday, she invited him to meet in person.
Excited and convinced this was the real deal, he booked an expensive last-minute flight to Delhi and checked into the luxurious Taj Hotel. He couldn’t believe his luck. A beautiful woman, a weekend escape, and the promise of intimacy. What could go wrong?
Plenty, as it turns out.
Upon landing, he suggested a trendy restaurant he’d spotted near the airport. She declined. Odd, he thought. He suggested another. Again, she refused. “This is your city,” he said, “you choose the place.” She agreed and shared a location.
He booked an Uber and arrived at a mid-range restaurant—not as upscale as he had imagined, but good enough. She was already there, smiling. His mind raced ahead to what the night might hold.
He noticed the menu had no prices. Strange. But he brushed it off, assuming it couldn’t be too expensive. He ordered a few drinks and appetizers. She took the lead, suggesting fancier items—exotic cocktails and imported dishes. The drinks flowed, and so did the chemistry. He even got a bit handsy at the table, and she didn’t resist.
The dinner ended. He invited her to his hotel. She neither accepted nor declined. Then the bill arrived.
₹35,000.
He stared in disbelief. He had expected ₹4,000–₹5,000 at most. The charges were inflated: overpriced drinks, bizarre service fees, and items he didn’t remember ordering.
He argued with the staff. The manager was blunt: “You should’ve asked the prices.” Then came the threats. “Pay up, or we’ll call the police.” And just when he hoped the girl would support him—she sided with the restaurant.
Shaken and cornered, he paid the full bill just to get out of the situation. But at least he had her company, and still hoped for the night he imagined.
They walked outside. Then she got a call. An emergency, she said. “I’ll be back in an hour,” she promised.
She never returned.
He called. No answer. He called again. Still nothing. After several attempts, her phone was switched off.
It hit him like a punch to the gut—he had been played.
Everything—the date, the restaurant, the intimacy—was part of a carefully executed scam. A quick online search revealed the ugly truth: it’s a common con in Delhi and parts of North India. Girls are hired to lure men via dating apps, seduce them into pricey restaurants, and split the spoils with the establishment.
Bitter and humiliated, he sat alone in his luxury hotel room, ₹35,000 poorer 😔. His desperation and optimism had cost him—again.
He thought he had seen it all. But the Tinder trap in Delhi taught him that sometimes, the most expensive lessons come wrapped in the prettiest packages.
