Contractor honeytrapped, duped of ₹3.5 lakh by kidnappers who posed as ATS officers

A man was allegedly kidnapped, assaulted, and defrauded of over ₹3.42 lakh by a group of individuals posing as anti-terrorism squad officers, in what appears to be an elaborate online dating scam, police reports have revealed.

The 30-year-old complainant, a contractor by profession, stated that he had been using a dating application called 'Quack Quack' since February 2025, through which he came in contact with a woman identifying herself as Kavita Patel, a resident of Himmatnagar. The two began communicating via WhatsApp, where she also shared her photographs and mobile numbers.

On March 17, the victim travelled to Ahmedabad to meet Patel after she sent him a location near the Shell Petrol Pump, on Ambli-Iskcon Road. The two met and proceeded in the complainant’s vehicle towards Hotel Nova Opal, located near Vakil Saheb Bridge. However, they were unable to secure a room and left the premises shortly thereafter.

As they stood near an ICICI Bank branch, they were approached by two men and two women, one of whom remained seated in a Hyundai i20. The group, dressed in plain clothes resembling law enforcement uniforms, identified themselves as members of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and accused Patel of being involved in drug trafficking.

According to the victim, the group forcibly took control of his car and transported him and Patel to various locations, including the S P Ring Road near Sanathal and eventually Bopal. During this time, he was physically assaulted and threatened with exposure and arrest. The impostors coerced him into handing over his HDFC credit card and its PIN.

The accused reportedly swiped the card at multiple petrol stations, including Jai Babari and Daguru CNC Filling Station, withdrawing ₹20,800. Additionally, they forced the victim to transfer large sums from his bank accounts via Google Pay to different banks. The total amount extorted included altogether, ₹3.42 lakh, was siphoned off from his accounts.

Following the incident, the accused allegedly deleted all WhatsApp chats from the victim's phone and abandoned him near Kismat Kathiyawadi Hotel. He later approached friends and filed a formal complaint at the Sarkhej police station, Ahmedabad.

Police have registered a case under relevant sections and have commenced an investigation. The primary accused, Kavita Patel, is believed to have acted in collusion with the others, orchestrating the entire operation via the dating application.

Preliminary investigations suggest this could be part of a larger criminal network targeting individuals through online platforms. Authorities have urged the public to exercise caution while interacting on such applications and report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement. Investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made as yet.