India, Aug. 2 -- A Reddit user recently shared his experience of going on an app-based date for the first time, with his post sparking widespread discussion online as many users described it as a "dating scam."

In a post titled "My first date cost me Rs.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...