Mumbai: The MHB Police have busted an inter-state gang involved in online fraud through dating apps. The police have arrested twenty-one accused in this case, and the investigation has revealed that the gang had been committing online fraud from a hotel in Navi Mumbai for the past five days.
The arrested accused include fifteen men and six women, all residents of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. They had committed these crimes in collusion with hotel managers in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, and surrounding areas. After their arrest, the local court in Borivali remanded them in police custody until July 8. The police believe that many more cases of online fraud will be solved through their interrogation.
According to the police, they received information that the accused were staying at Hotel Grand Inn in Navi Mumbai. Around twenty one individuals, including women from Delhi and Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, had been staying in the hotel for about ten days. They had booked five rooms. When the police arrived at the hotel, the accused were out. The police laid a trap, and when fifteen men and six women returned to the hotel, they were detained as soon as they arrived.
The investigation revealed that Mohasin and Farhan were the leaders of the gang and had brought the other accused from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh specifically for the online dating app scam. They created fake women’s profiles on almost every dating app and men from the gang would chat with potential victims while pretending to be women.
They would lure these men and arrange meetings at restaurants, bars, and lounges. At these meetings, the women would order drinks, food, cigarettes, and hookahs repeatedly, running up huge bills.
The accused allegedly conspired with hotel managers, and 50% of the money defrauded from the victims would go to the managers. When the victims paid the bill by scanning a QR code, the money would be transferred either to the manager’s account or to various bank accounts belonging to the accused.
The complainant is a 26-year-old man who lives in Santacruz and works as a loan recovery officer for a private company in Andheri. In April, he met Disha Sharma through the Tinder app. They became good friends and stayed in touch through social media. Disha invited him to meet her, claiming that she lived in the Akurli area of Borivali. He went to meet her on April 12.
After meeting, they went to the Times Square Hotel, where they ordered hookah along with their meal. After two hours, the waiter brought them a bill of Rs 35,000. Shocked by the amount, the complainant refused to pay and informed the police.
After the police arrived, the hotel staff issued him a new bill of Rs 30,000. Disha offered to pay Rs 15,000 and asked him to pay the remaining amount. He then made the payment by scanning a QR code. After the payment, Disha left the place.
