A Bengaluru tech professional’s hopeful online connection soon spiraled into a terrifying extortion scheme, shedding light on a sophisticated cyber trap executed via dating platforms.
As per official reports, the entire sequence—from matching on a dating app to the orchestrated panic—was methodically arranged in advance. NDTV revealed that the victim matched with a woman named Sangeetha on Bumble. Over several weeks, they exchanged friendly messages and video chatted. Eventually, they agreed to meet at a local café. What seemed like a typical date took a surprising turn when Sangeetha proposed they move to a hotel room for drinks and relaxation.
But things quickly turned sinister.
While they conversed inside the room, four men stormed in, accusing the man of being part of a narcotics gathering. They pretended to involve the police and demanded to inspect the room. During their fake search, they pulled out white powder sachets from Sangeetha’s bag, falsely labeling it as drugs.
In a staged emotional breakdown, Sangeetha locked herself in a room, threatened suicide, and claimed she couldn’t bear the fallout. The techie, overwhelmed by fear and the threat of public disgrace, was coerced into paying ₹2 lakh—reduced from an initial ₹15 lakh—after negotiation.
Three days later, he reported the incident to the authorities. Investigations unveiled a premeditated extortion network using dating apps as bait. The powder was later identified as baking soda, not narcotics. Sangeetha, along with five men—Sharanabasappa, Raju Mane, Shyam Sundar, Abhishek, and Birbal—were arrested.