Dating apps have been misused by all sorts of people. Even though apps like Tinder, Bumble and Truly Madly make sure that individuals with malicious intentions don't survive on the app, clever users have always succeeded in resorting to illegitimate means to make money by abusing the anonymity granted by dating apps.
In Delhi, a head constable and a constable joined hands with a young girl to defraud men by threatening to press false rape charges. The sextortion racket came to light recently when a male victim lost Rs 27,000 to the trio's extortion. The victim matched with the young girl and chatted with her for a week. It appears that he wanted to have consensual fun with her. He met her and when they both went to a private place, he was shocked to discover that it was a trap laid by the girl and the two policemen. He was threatened with a rape accusation. Terrified, he parted with money.
Highlighting the prevalence of sextortion rackets, reporter and documentary filmmaker Deepika Narayan Bharadwaj wrote, "Rackets running where a woman will invite you to her home. Then policemen will barge in saying they received a call about rape. They will demand huge money to not file a rape case."
