Ice cream trader honeytrapped via dating app in Ahmedabad, lakhs extorted

A serious incident of honeytrapping and extortion has emerged involving a 35-year-old trader from Ahmedabad's Vastral area, who is in the business of manufacturing ice cream machines. According to a report by 'Aaj Tak', the matter began when the victim downloaded a dating app on his mobile approximately two months ago. He met a woman named 'Heena Patel' on this app. Initially, they had normal conversations, which later grew into a close relationship. The woman constantly gained his trust by sending loving messages and photos, leading the trader to be attracted to her.

According to the sequence of events, on the 6th of this month, Heena Patel asked the trader to come to Ahmedabad and meet her near Hathijan Circle. When the trader reached there and was sitting with the woman in a secluded spot, three unknown persons arrived in a car. These individuals began intimidating the trader, alleging that the woman he was sitting with is a criminal and that the trader was also involved in her crimes. These persons identified themselves as Crime Branch employees. Subsequently, they forcibly placed both the trader and the woman in their car.

After driving a short distance, the accused dropped the woman from the car, but kept the trader with them and drove him around various areas of the city for about three hours. During this time, the accused brutally beat the trader and threatened to implicate him in false criminal cases. The accused pressured the trader and forced him to transfer ₹40,000 online. However, their demands did not stop there. The accused called another person, who choked the trader, beat him, and obtained his banking app password.

In this manner, the accused forcibly transferred an additional ₹6 lakh from the trader's bank account. Thus, after extorting a total of ₹6.40 lakh, the accused dropped the trader on the road and fled. After being freed from the clutches of the accused, the trader gathered courage and called Heena Patel, informing her of the entire incident and threatening to file a police complaint. Fearing the police, Heena promised to return the money. She subsequently sent two individuals named Kalpesh and Raj to return the money, who returned ₹3.02 lakh to the trader.

However, as no solution was reached regarding the remaining ₹3.37 lakh, the trader finally went to the Vivekanand Nagar police station and filed a written complaint. The police have registered a case in this matter and have launched a search for the accused. The police are investigating how this friendship, which began through a dating app, turned into a case of kidnapping, assault, and extortion. This incident has also raised questions regarding caution in the use of social media and dating apps.

Dating apps are digital platforms used by people to make new friends or find life partners. After creating a profile on these apps, users can chat with each other. However, in the past, instances of using such apps to honeytrap innocent people and extort money have been recorded. Cyber experts always advise being cautious while contacting unknown persons online and sharing personal information.