'My first date cost me Rs. 20,500': Reddit user's story sparks 'dating scam' debate

In a post titled "My first date cost me ₹20.5k. I still don't know how to feel about it," the 23-year-old detailed how what began as a casual meeting turned into an unexpectedly expensive evening.

"I matched with a girl on a dating app. We chatted for a bit, and she suggested meeting the same day. I'm 23, have never been in a relationship, studied in a boys' school, and never really had this kind of interaction with girls before. So I said yes," he wrote.

According to the post, the pair met at a pub where, he claimed, his date began ordering expensive items before he fully realised how much the bill was escalating.

"I'm a complete non-drinker and non-smoker, but she ordered champagne after champagne (around ₹13k worth), two hookahs (around ₹6k), and we had some food too," he wrote.

"The final bill came to ₹20,500."

The user said he earns around ₹xx,xxx a month and ended up spending nearly half of his monthly salary on his first-ever date.

"The strange part is... I don't regret the money. What bothered me more was the experience. She didn't offer to split the bill or even ask how much it was. When the bill arrived, she had gone to the washroom. Maybe it was just a coincidence, maybe not—I honestly don't know, so I don't want to assume her intentions," he wrote.

The post quickly went viral, with many Reddit users claiming the incident resembled a well-known "dating scam" that has been reported in several Indian cities.

"Damn, you didn't know this was a common scam? It's so common in Delhi," one user commented.

Another wrote, "Just search 'dating scam Delhi' on Reddit. There are so many posts. Interestingly, the bill is almost always around ₹20,000."

A third user cautioned: "This was a scam. This is common... and if you are 23 and on Reddit, I'm shocked that you let it happen to you. Be wary about meeting strangers, men or women. Don't go anywhere blindly. Always stay alert, observe your surroundings, and don't let your guard down. If you realise you're in trouble, leave immediately and get to safety."

While several commenters believed the incident bore the hallmarks of a dating scam, there is no independent verification of the Reddit user's account or of the intentions of the woman involved.