✍ Abu Qutub
Relationships introduced through dating apps have recently posed major security challenges. In a recent case in Mumbai, a gang of 21 people, including 15 men and 6 women, was arrested for targeting men they met through these apps. They developed intimate relationships, invited them to hotels, and in collaboration with hotel owners, extorted lakhs of rupees by showing fake bills.
In one incident, a 26-year-old man was forced to pay a bill of ₹35,000 after dining with his girlfriend at a hotel in Borivali. When he complained to the police, investigations revealed that the bill was fake and the money had been deposited in another account. Following this, the woman and others involved were arrested, exposing the fraud network.
This case is more than just a criminal offence. It shows how trust and confidence are being abused through modern technology. Relationships are being converted into business, and private information is being handed over to strangers. Dating apps are now becoming dangerous tools for fraud in the name of love.
Several similar cases have been reported across different states. In the NCR region, young women lure men on dating apps, invite them to hotels, and later accuse them of sexual harassment, forcing them to pay money to escape the allegations. Reports suggest that even influential people are connected to such networks. In Bengaluru, a medical student extorted lakhs of rupees from an IT employee, which was uncovered by the Cyber Crime Division. These incidents prove that the crimes have grown into sophisticated networks far beyond local allegations.
These scams are not limited to women deceiving men. Men in society, hotel owners, social media operators, and technology experts are also cooperating in these crimes. The number of victims is countless. Many suffer humiliation through mobile cameras, screenshots, and live chats, and the blackmail pushes them into deeper misery.
Most victims avoid going to the police due to fear of defamation and damage to their reputation. This silence has allowed such crimes to spread widely. The commercialisation of love and friendship is sounding a serious alarm for the security of the youth. Trust is being destroyed by fear, shaking the foundation of relationships and affecting the future of an entire generation.
The government, cybercrime authorities, and dating app companies need to act quickly. Profile verification must be strengthened, fake accounts should be detected with advanced technology, and safety guidelines must be made compulsory for all dating app users. Cyber education should begin at the school level, and society must take responsibility to prevent bullying, extortion, and defamation in the name of love.
Young people must be cautious in using technology. They should avoid emotional involvement, financial dealings, or oversharing of personal information in early interactions. Trust should not be measured by profiles on apps, but by the purity of personality.
In today’s technological age, using a smartphone demands both responsibility and morality. Love, friendship, and trust must remain within the boundaries of ethics and law. Society must give a strong lesson to such frauds, or else we risk living in an era where love and trust are continually trapped in webs of deceit.
The Qur’an warns: “And do not approach adultery. Indeed, it is an indecency and an evil way.” (Quran, Surah Al-Isra, 17:32)
