Mumbai News: Dating App Scam Busted In Sakinaka As NGO Yuva Pratishthan Helps Nab 13 Accused

Mumbai, March 17: In the recent expose of a dating app scam in Sakinaka, NGO Yuva Pratishthan played a key role in unmasking the accused by executing a covert operation and ultimately outsmarting them.

13 arrested in café-based dating scam

The plan led to the arrest of 13 people, including women and staffers of Heaven Terrace 72 Café, who lured men through dating apps and forced them to pay exorbitant bills for food and drinks when they arrived to meet their 'match' at the café. All the accused have been remanded to judicial custody.

NGO helped police crack the racket

The police busted the racket with the help of Yuva Pratishthan NGO, led by its president, Pankaj Yadav. Speaking to the FPJ, he said that the gang mainly targeted men from metro cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, and Chennai.

Most of the accused are reportedly from Delhi and Haryana. According to Yadav, the accused had hired Heaven Terrace 72 Café about two months ago and were allegedly using the place specifically to carry out the scam.

Victim’s experience led to investigation

He further said that the NGO got involved after an acquaintance fell prey to the racket and ended up losing Rs 25,000. He had met a woman at the same café after connecting with her through a dating app, said Yadav. When he initially refused to pay the inflated bill, the café staff and bouncers allegedly threatened him, he added.

Covert operation exposed the scam

Devising a plan to bust the racket, the NGO members then created their profiles on the dating app. Soon, one of the profiles was contacted by the racket and one Mahira started talking to the NGO member. Yadav said that she invited the individual to Heaven Terrace 72 Café, prompting them to alert the police.

Accordingly, the police conducted a raid at the café on March 14 and detained the accused. The officials said that regular customers were visiting the café, unaware of the scam.

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NGO flags rising misuse of dating apps

Yuva Pratishthan expressed concern that fraudsters are increasingly misusing popular dating platforms to cheat unsuspecting individuals. The NGO, which undertook several initiatives during Covid, helps the needy get medical treatment.

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