Swiping right has become a pricey trap for many in India, where Grindr and other dating apps serve as stalking grounds for scammers spinning fake profiles, sob stories, and shattered promises. This deception hits the LGBTQ community hardest, with reports indicating hundreds of people are duped each year.

The modus operandi of these scams unfolds when an LGBTQ user connects with a match on Grindr or Tinder, someone claiming to be from the U.S. or Europe, and the texts spark a flawless romance, until a frantic call shatters the illusion. They’ve flown to India to meet them, they say, but customs officials at the airport have detained them for carrying wads of foreign cash. A desperate plea follows: Send money to settle fines, with a hollow vow to repay once released—a vow that vanishes the moment the payment lands.

Although dating apps have tightened policies to shield users—Match Group, Tinder’s parent company, rolled out a campaign across Tinder, Hinge, Match, Plenty of Fish, and Meetic with in-app tips to spot scams—fraud persists. Delhi Police on Jan. 11 busted a gang that targeted gay men on Tinder, luring them with fake profiles promising shared desires, then holding them hostage to extort cash. A minor was among the five people who authorities arrested.

Though India decriminalized homosexuality in 2018, lingering social stigma still marks LGBTQ people as prime targets for dating app scammers. 

Noida police in Uttar Pradesh state in 2020 dismantled a gang that honey-trapped at least 10 professionals on a gay dating app, robbing two of them of $500 and $1,700 respectively. Gurugram police in Haryana, a bustling tech and finance hub, that same year nabbed another gang that preyed on more than 50 users of the same app.

Scammers often dig deep, coaxing out home addresses, job details, and family ties from their targets—sometimes with an accomplice who turns violent, assaulting the victim. Activists, however, note most of them don’t come forward to the police, silenced by India’s staunchly conservative mores that allow catfishers to slip away and target more people unchecked.

A 28-year-old gay man in Mumbai in March 2024 fell prey to a dating app scam, losing nearly $11,000 to a man posing as a Texas-based doctor. 

After striking up a friendship online, the scammer promised an expensive watch as a gift—only to call the next day, claiming he’d been detained at Delhi’s airport for carrying a hefty sum of foreign currency. Moments later, a supposed customs officer named Priya demanded $859 in taxes to secure his release. What began as a single payment spiraled into a financial abyss, with the victim funnelling roughly $11,000 in a month, the Indian Express reported.

“These incidents have grabbed headlines recently. Scammers create fake profiles, build trust with their targets, and then hit them with extortion demands, threatening to out them to family or friends, said Ankit Bhuptani, an LGBTQ activist who founded Queer Hindu Alliance. “It’s a cruel twist of the knife, preying on the fear of societal rejection that still lingers despite legal progress.”

“Even though the Supreme Court struck down parts of Section 377 in 2018, decriminalizing homosexuality, the reality on the ground is that acceptance isn’t universal,” added Bhuptani. “Families and communities can still be harsh, and these scammers weaponize that vulnerability. The fact that arrests have been made—like those recent busts in Ghaziabad and Noida—shows the police are acting, but the persistence of these scams tells us we have got a long way to go.”

Bhuptani noted that a mix of technological, societal, and legal challenges fuels these scams. He said scammers thrive because dating apps can be a Wild West—fake accounts are easy to set up, and AI tools make them even more convincing.

“I have heard of cases where victims lost lakhs (thousands of US dollars), like that guy in Ghaziabad who was blackmailed for 1.4 lakhs ($1,700) after being filmed in a compromising situation. It’s predatory and shameless,” said Bhuptani. “The emotional toll is just as bad as the financial hit—imagine the terror of being outed in a society where many still see being gay as taboo.”

Bhuptani argued India’s legal framework is primed to tackle dating app scams, pointing to constitutional protections—Article 14’s equality guarantee and Article 15’s anti-discrimination shield the Navtej Johar ruling, which decriminalized homosexuality in 2018, bolstered. He noted that blackmail and extortion already fall under Indian penal code Sections 383 and 384, while the IT Act can pin scammers for online fraud and identity theft.

“The problem isn’t the laws; it’s enforcement and awareness. Police need better training to handle queer-specific cases with sensitivity, and dating apps must step up—think stricter verification, AI-flagging of suspicious profiles, and user education on spotting red flags,” said Bhuptani. “But laws alone won’t fix this. Society’s got to shift. As long as being LGBTQ carries a stigma, scammers will have leverage. We need campaigns—loud, bold ones—pushing acceptance, normalizing queer identities, and making it clear that outing someone is not a weapon that works anymore.”

Pune police, meanwhile, on Feb. 27 filed an First Information Report  against a gang that blackmailed a gay man on a dating app, bleeding him of $1,248 over five months.

Editor’s note: The Associated Press on Thursday reported the Trump-Vance administration has terminated 90 percent of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s foreign aid contracts.

The Trump-Vance administration’s decision to freeze nearly all U.S. foreign aid has had a devastating impact on LGBTQ communities in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan

The suspension of aid has slashed critical USAID-funded projects; jeopardizing healthcare, jobs, and services for LGBTQ communities that often rely on such funds to bridge gaps their own governments overlook.

USAID for years championed LGBTQ communities around the world through initiatives like the LGBTI Global Development Partnership, which has awarded more than 100 grants to civil society organizations and trained more than 1,700 LGBTQ entrepreneurs and business owners. 

USAID in 2022 launched the Alliance for Global Equality, a 5-year collaboration that Outright International and the LGBTQ+ Victory Institute led. This initiative by March 2024 had awarded 39 grants in 16 countries, totaling nearly $800,000, to advance LGBTQ human rights and inclusion.

In Nepal, USAID has supported efforts that include the Rights for Gender Diverse Populations program, partnering with local groups to raise awareness of LGBTQ rights and improve access to healthcare and legal services for marginalized communities.

India’s MIST LGBTQ Foundation, based in Pune in Maharashtra state, is reeling from the funding freeze and is scrambling for alternative resources to sustain its mission.

MIST has been a lifeline for the LGBTQ community, driving HIV prevention, distributing PrEP, and spearheading empowerment programs, while partnering with doctors and mental health experts. Reports show the group delivered over 200 PrEP kits and conducted 300 HIV tests each month, a vital effort now at risk as the funding drought threatens to stall its work.

MIST has been a vital bridge for India’s LGBTQ community, reaching those who might otherwise go unserved because they are often wary of approaching NGOs or government-run testing centers due to stigma or distrust.

“Along with USAID, we have managed to ensure test kits reach the homes of those who want to test at home,” said Shyam Konnur, MIST’s founder and CEO, during an interview with Indian Express, a prominent English newspaper in India. “Distribution of PrEP and condoms were also part of the initiative, MIST bore the cost of parcelling and shipping the kits.”

The Indian Express reported MIST is now approaching corporate leaders and individual donors to help fill the funding gap.

The U.S. Embassy in India last June in New Delhi launched an open competition for Empowering LGBTQI+ Community Leadership, a program designed to promote equal access and hone leadership skills for India’s LGBTQ community. Aimed at training at least 200 leaders—prioritizing transgender and intersex people—the 12-month effort offered a grant between $120,000 and $150,000. 

The program’s future is now in doubt. 

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and USAID in January 2021 supported Program ACCELERATE, led by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, to establish Mitr Clinic, India’s first comprehensive health center for the trans community in Hyderabad in Telangana state.  

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Feb. 9 criticized PEPFAR using American tax dollars to fund such trans clinics. The Louisiana Republican’s X post specifically noted Mitr.

Mitr did not respond to the Washington Blade’s repeated requests for comment.

South First, an Indian news outlet, later reported the clinic closed because of the USAID funding disruptions. Telangana’s state-run Maithri Clinic, which has served similar populations since 2018, will reportedly not receive state funding.

Span, a magazine that the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has published since 1960 in order to foster ties between the U.S. and India, one highlighted the Mitr clinic. The U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai last August celebrated the clinic’s achievements with an Instagram post. The Span report on the clinic has been removed from its website. 

The Blade reached out to the Humsafar Trust, a Mumbai-based advocacy group, for comment, but it declined.

Known for its work in HIV prevention and care, the Humsafar Trust has collaborated with USAID on efforts targeting men who have sex with men and trans people. It has also spearheaded more than 25 national and international research studies—some backed by USAID—to shape policies and programs for India’s LGBTQ community.

The Democratic Processes Project, which USAID launched in Nepal on May 27, 2024, sought to bolster inclusiveness and responsiveness of the country’s democratic systems and make them more resilient. With a sharp focus on empowering marginalized groups—including the LGBTQ community—the initiative aimed to amplify their role in governance and decision-making, while strengthening civic engagement and institutional capacity to serve all citizens equitably. 

A report in the Diplomat warns that President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order that says the U.S. federal government will only recognize two genders—male and female— has left Nepal’s LGBTQ community on edge. The directive, which also halts federal funding for trans-related programs, threatens the more than a dozen LGBTQ groups that work in Nepal and could cost more than 300 community members their jobs.

“While this will impact U.S.-funded organizations, projects and jobs, said Sunil Babu Pant, LGBTQ rights activist and Asia’s first openly gay parliamentarian, in an interview with the Diplomat. “It will not impact the entire LGBTQI community as condoms are affordable, antiretroviral therapy for HIV and sexual health programs are already included in the government budget.”

The Blade contacted the Blue Diamond Society, a leading LGBTQ rights group in Nepal that Babu founded and a longtime USAID beneficiary, for comment on the funding freeze. The organization did not immediately respond.

Meanwhile, the Nepali Times reports that nearly $700 million in USAID grants, slated to support Nepal through 2027, are now in doubt.

In Bangladesh, USAID has been a key force in advancing LGBTQ initiatives. 

The country’s parliament recognized “hijras” as a third gender in 2014, and USAID in 2021 worked with local organizations to ensure their inclusion in the national Census. 

Through its Rights for Gender Diverse Populations program, USAID sought to strengthen civil society, training human rights activists to document and address violations while helping LGBTQ people navigate their rights. USAID also joined forces with 15 local radio stations to broadcast gender diversity awareness nationwide.

USAID in May 2023 partnered with the Bandhu Social Welfare Society and Sompriti Samaj, a Bangladeshi NGO focused on community empowerment, to launch the SHOMOTA (Equality) Project—a 5-year effort to uplift Bangladesh’s gender-diverse populations. 

The initiative sought to boost the socio-economic and cultural standing of trans and hijra communities in eight cities: Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Barishal. It planned to directly support 8,700 people and provide vital resources and outreach to 4,750 more, including organizations, through 2028. 

More than 100 development projects launched in Bangladesh with USAID backing ground to a halt after Trump issued his executive order, putting the jobs of roughly 50,000 NGO employees at risk.

In Pakistan, the USAID funding freeze dealt a sharp blow to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs, hitting trans people and men who have sex with men especially hard. Once sustained by USAID support, these initiatives provided critical medications and care, but their sudden suspension has left many without access to life-saving antiretrovirals and support services. Local organizations championing LGBTQ rights and inclusion, reliant on those funds, have been forced to scale back or close down.

The government of Tamil Nadu in southern India has proposed a policy that is designed to improve the lives of LGBTQ and intersex people in the state.

The Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission introduced the “Draft Policy for the Welfare of LGBTQIA+ Persons” in July 2023. Key provisions include a 1 percent quota for transgender and intersex people in education and employment. Progress to implement the policy has been hindered because of the government’s fragmented approach of developing separate policies for different groups within the community.

The Madras High Court in January 2024 acknowledged Tamil Nadu’s proposed policy and commended the state’s efforts. 

The court highlighted key recommendations, such as establishing a State Commission for Sexual and Gender Minorities and introducing quotas, while stressing the need to combat discrimination and violence. The court this month, however, raised concerns about the government’s separate policies for trans people and the broader LGBTQ community.

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh stressed the need for a single, unified policy to effectively address the challenges the LGBTQ community faces. He directed the Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Department to submit a separate proposal for trans people and a consolidated LGBTQ one by Feb. 17 that would allow stakeholder input and improvements.

The Madras High Court has been actively guiding the Tamil Nadu government towards formulating a unified and comprehensive policy for the LGBTQ community, rather than separate policies for different groups within the community.

Tamil Nadu’s proposal offers several advantages aimed at promoting inclusivity and equality. It would provide healthcare inclusion, recommending the extension of the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme to cover trans-specific medical procedures, such as gender-affirming surgeries, to ensure essential healthcare is accessible. The proposal calls for nondiscrimination policies in all government departments and public authorities that seek to protect LGBTQ people from bias and violence.

The proposal calls for educational institutions to adopt policies that raise awareness and address issues of violence, abuse, and discrimination against students with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations. It also suggests the creation of bodies like the Tamil Nadu Council for LGBTQ Persons and District Level LGBTQ Welfare and Justice Committees to coordinate efforts across government departments.

“Tamil Nadu is the first state in India to develop a unified policy covering sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics, based on a recent Madras High Court directive,” said L. Ramakrishnan from SAATHII, an organization that works to create an inclusive healthcare system, and a member of the policy drafting committee. “This is important because critical sensitization interventions for inclusive education, healthcare and employment require understanding of sexual, sexuality, and gender diversity,” 

“At the same time, recognizing the added vulnerabilities of trans and intersex individuals, provisions such as horizontal reservations and free land allocation are proposed only for transgender and intersex individuals,” added Ramakrishnan.

The proposal, among other things, calls for gender-neutral bathrooms and hostels. It also seeks to protect LGBTQ people from family violence and from corrective rape and so-called conversion therapy that medical providers and faith healers carry out.

The proposed policy would also acknowledge and support relationships outside the traditional marriage framework. It proposes a Deed of Familial Association that would legally recognize queer relationships as the Madras High Court ruled in a case of a lesbian couple who sought protection from harassment. While the deed would offer protection from family and societal harassment, it would not extend legal status or rights associated with marriage or civil unions. 

The Indian Supreme Court on Oct. 17, 2023, ruled against marriage rights for same-sex couples.

“We have long been working and sensitizing the government for a policy,” said Kalki Subramaniam, a trans activist and artist who founded the Sahodari Foundation, an organization that supports trans people in India. “It seems to be happening. We, the trans community, demand a separate policy for us because we are the most marginalized and poorest community in the entire LGBTQI spectrum.” 

“I insist on two different policies: One for us, trans and intersex persons, and the other for the LGB community. Practically, it is very much possible,” added Subramaniam. “The state government, months ago, held public meetings with the trans community in all districts, and the community’s overall demand is a separate policy. I welcome the commission and insist it should have representatives from trans women, trans men, and intersex communities.”

She told the Washington Blade the proposed policy is something for which the community has been waiting for years, and is happy to see it on the table. Subramaniam noted the quota, in particular, will ensure equal opportunities in jobs and education.

“Tamil Nadu government’s laudable efforts in building equity for the LGBTQIA+ community stands as a magnificent beacon of hope,” said Harish Iyer, an Indian LGBTQ activist. “In times of absolute disregard across the world, this effort puts not just the queer community, but India in the forefront of humanitarian efforts.”