Bengaluru man scammed ₹1.7 lakh on Grindr

A 27-year-old man from Bengaluru lost ₹1.7 lakh to scammers while using the dating app Grindr. The victim connected with someone claiming to be Randy Armstrong, a cardiologist from the United States. They chatted for months, and the victim began to trust Armstrong. He even invited him to visit India for the Kumbh Mela. In early February, Armstrong sent a flight ticket, saying he was on his way. Shortly after, the victim received a call from a woman identifying herself as a customs officer. She said Armstrong had been detained at the Delhi airport for carrying a large sum of cash. The woman claimed Armstrong needed to pay a fine to avoid legal issues. She then connected the victim to Armstrong, who sounded distressed. He pleaded for money, threatening to take his own life if he didn't get help. The victim, under emotional pressure, borrowed money and sent them ₹75,000 through a digital payment app. Later, the caller asked for an additional ₹1 lakh. Still worried about Armstrong, the victim borrowed more money from friends and took out another loan. Eventually, he became suspicious when more demands for money came in. When he tried to contact Armstrong, his phone was off. Realizing he had been scammed, the victim hesitated to report it due to fear of stigma but eventually filed a police complaint with encouragement from his family. Police indicated that the money had already been withdrawn by the fraudsters and urged users of dating apps to be careful about transferring money to anyone they haven't met in person.