Faridabad: A mother and daughter have been arrested for allegedly running a dating app fraud racket involving drugging, robbery and extortion by threatening victims with false rape allegations, police said on Monday.
According to investigators, the accused allegedly used Tinder to identify financially well-off individuals and establish contact with them. They would initiate conversations through the platform before arranging meetings at hotels under the pretext of friendship.
Once the victims reached the hotel, the women allegedly drugged them and stole their belongings before leaving. The accused would then use threats of filing rape complaints to intimidate the victims and demand money, police said.
Investigators suspect that the duo deliberately selected individuals who appeared financially stable, making them potential targets for extortion.
The alleged racket was not restricted to Faridabad. During questioning, police found indications that the two women had reportedly carried out similar operations in the Andaman Islands, Surat and the Delhi-NCR region.
The arrests were made by Faridabad police on Monday, November 9, following an investigation into the alleged activities of the accused.
Police said the threats of criminal proceedings were allegedly used as a means of pressuring victims into making payments rather than approaching law enforcement authorities.
The case has raised concerns about the misuse of dating platforms, where criminals may exploit personal interactions to facilitate theft and financial extortion.
Faridabad police spokesperson confirmed that further investigation is underway to establish the full extent of the alleged operations, identify other possible victims and determine whether additional individuals were involved.
