A Delhi man’s right swipe on a dating app turned into a nightmare when he discovered he had a match made in hell. Sharing his horrifying experience on Reddit’s r/LegalAdviceIndia subreddit, the user revealed that his date asked him to meet at a cafe named Locus in the East of Kailash in Delhi. When his date started ordering Jägerbombs—a shot of Jägermeister mixed with an energy drink, each costing ₹1,20-, the man revealed he had only ₹3,000 to spend on their date. The man was left dumbstruck when the woman, whose name was disclosed as Bhumi by the man, ordered the bill.
Rs 11,958 was the amount the two owed to the cafe. However, in his post, the man revealed that the woman admitted to him that all she was carrying was Rs 100. Perplexed, the man asked the cafe staff to split the bill and stop the woman from leaving the premises. Once Bhumi stormed out of the cafe, Varsha, the alleged owner of the eatery, approached the frightened man and issued a threat that the authorities would have to be informed, and he would have to pay an additional Rs 10,000 as a fine, bringing his “bill" amount to Rs 22,000.
The man also claimed that after protesting and negotiating with Varsha and the staff at the Locus cafe, he asked his friend to come to the cafe and remove him from the situation.
The matter was settled for Rs 2,500.
“The girl was just set up by the pub to increase the sales. It’s a well-known scam, (sic)" a Reddit user wrote in response to the man’s ordeal.
A glance at Google Reviews shows that Cafe Locus, mentioned by the OP in his post, has poor ratings, and the reviews left behind by disgruntled customers are far from flattering.
“Terrible Experience – Feels Like a Trap! I had one of the worst experiences ever at Locus Lounge & Café Bar in Greater Kailash Colony. The atmosphere is nowhere near what they promise—dark, uncomfortable, and honestly shady. But that’s not even the worst part," a user wrote in their review before adding," This place seems to run on a trap-like business model. I was approached by a girl named Varsha, supposedly just to accompany her in conversation, but it quickly became clear this was all part of a setup. Without my clear consent, expensive items kept getting added to the bill—drinks I didn’t order, food I didn’t even get a chance to try. The prices were shockingly high, and the final bill was outrageous. (sic)"
Another user shared a similar experience.
“This restaurant and bar is a scam. Too much Over price. One shot of jagermaster 1200rs and 500rs for red bull. 10% Servicing charges not optional you must have to pay and additionally they will charge you 25% VAT. I suggest do not go to this restaurant and bar (sic)."
“This place is so calm. Please stay away from here and their agents.
They ruined our night and wasted over 10,000 inr, (sic)" another chimed.
Date Scams
Although dating app scams are not uncommon, many men have fallen victim to matches who collaborate with dubious cafes or eateries that furnish exorbitant bills and threaten action if not paid in full.
Journalist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj highlighted a dating app scam involving at least a dozen victims, with bills ranging from ₹23,000 to over ₹60,000.
Bhardwaj, in her viral thread on ‘X’, shed light on a cafe called The Godfather located in Mumbai, which was allegedly the scam centre of dating scams.
The modus operandi, as mentioned in the viral thread, was simple. The women ordered drinks, hookah, shots, etc without showing the menu card to the victims.
Only once the bill arrived did the men know that they had been on a date they would remember for a lifetime.
