Alarming Dating App Scam Resurfaces in Thane: Man Trapped with ₹26,000 Bar Bill Over “Blue Label” Orders
Alarming Dating App Scam Resurfaces in Thane: Man Trapped with ₹26,000 Bar Bill Over "Blue Label" Orders
An alarming incident has once again brought attention to a widely known dating app scam that’s been targeting unsuspecting users across Mumbai and its suburbs. In an account recently shared on Reddit, a man from Mumbai detailed how a casual plan to meet a woman he matched with on the dating app Aisle ended up costing him a hefty ₹24,000–₹26,000 in an unexpected bar bill, all due to a seemingly innocent night out in Thane.
The viral Reddit post, shared in the r/mumbai subreddit under the title “Got scammed through dating app”, sparked a flurry of online conversations, shedding light on how prevalent this type of scam has become in recent years.
According to the man’s post, the plan was fairly spontaneous. After chatting with a woman and verifying some of her details, he agreed to meet her in the Thane area, specifically near Upvan Lake. “Dumb acts, dumb outcome. Met a girl through dating app. Aisle. It was spontaneous to meet and I didn’t have much plan later that night. So thought to hit it up. Went to the place to meet the person. I did have conversations before that just to verify whether the person was what they mentioned,” he wrote.
The woman then suggested they meet at a bar nearby, claiming she was already close to it. She led him to a venue she referred to as Paablo baar and launch, which he described as a large hall with chairs and loud music, but with very few people inside. This, he now realizes, should have been his first warning sign.
Got scammed through dating app
byu/xXSEKIROXx inmumbai
“Dumb me thought – yea, why not and went inside to a big hall with chairs around, music playing but there were very few people. This should be the first red flag I should’ve noted and should have left then itself,” he admitted.
Inside, the conversation was smooth, but things began to escalate when the woman repeatedly ordered high-end alcohol — particularly Blue Label — while he stuck to simpler drinks like beer and vodka. When the bill arrived, the total amount shocked him: nearly ₹26,000, inclusive of GST and service charges.
Under pressure and surrounded by staff who didn’t make him feel entirely safe, he decided to cut his losses and pay a partial amount. “Ended up paying 10k since there were a lot of waiters who looked like someone who you don’t wanna mess. Better to leave than make things worse. And I should’ve checked the bill before she order it,” he shared.
To make matters worse, the woman quickly made an excuse and disappeared. “I’m scared to be here rn and I’ll leave soon,” she reportedly told him before vanishing from the scene. The man also noticed others in the bar who appeared to have fallen into the same trap.
Online reactions poured in, ranging from empathy to criticism. One user remarked bluntly, “iske paas 2 braincells honge,” while another mocked the bar’s questionable name: “Pablo baar and lounch wow, what a place to get scammed at.”
A more concerned Redditor pointed out, “This is a famous scam guys, ladki aur woh bar ka owner mile hue rehte hai,” suggesting that the woman and the bar staff may be in on the con together. This isn’t far-fetched, as several people echoed that similar incidents have been taking place for years.
“Bhai tum news aur reddit nahi padhte ho kya. This scam is very common for past 3-4 years,” wrote one user, highlighting how widespread this issue has become. Others offered practical advice to avoid such traps in the future, suggesting, “Please take this advice – if you’re going out on a date please go to a cafe not for drinks.”
In a more investigative tone, a Thane local added another concerning observation: “There is no restaurant with the name pablo baar and launch. If that’s the case, then the GST number on the bill mentioned is fake too. OP can easily file a police complaint against them.”
