"The Dating Apps That Criminals Are Targeting: You Could Be a Victim"

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When Jamaica Hanley first used a LGBTIQ+ dating app, Grindr, several years ago – it served as a safe space that helped her feel a sense of belonging with the trans community.

“I was majorly impacted by Grindr to discover my identity growing up,” Jamaica, 24, told The Feed.

“So many people in the community have met each other through apps like Grindr and been able to use it to explore themselves and affirm their own identities and their sexualities.”

But now, LGBTIQ+ dating apps are being used by criminals to target the queer community.

NSW Police told The Feed it recorded 44 incidents linked to LGBTIQ+ dating apps from June last year, with crimes including aggravated robbery, assault, and extortion.

It’s similar in other states and territories. Last year, a man in Canberra was assaulted by two men who used Grindr to plan to meet up.

Many of these crimes include perpetrators under 18 targeting gay people, including several incidents in Perth last September, where five teenage boys aged between 15 and 17 used Grindr to arrange to meet and assault men. The teenagers were jailed in June.

And in Victoria, police have arrested more than 30 people since October last year, all linked to attacks on men using LGTBIQ+ dating apps.

“Police allege several groups of offenders — primarily young males aged between 13 and 20 — have been posing as legitimate users of the platforms to lure men into meeting them,” a spokesperson for Victoria Police told The Feed.

“The victims are then allegedly assaulted, robbed, threatened and subjected to homophobic comments.”

They say other attackers’ motivations include generalised prejudice and financial gain, especially against men who may not have their sexuality identified to family or friends.

From a safe space to a criminal hotspot

Jamaica said LGBTIQ+ dating apps are swarmed with fake accounts. On Grindr, which is based in the US, users can be messaged by anyone without “matching”, and accounts can be easily created using fake names or ages.

“It’s extremely easy for people to get on there with ulterior motives. They don’t verify age, identity — anything,” Jamaica said.

The Feed contacted Grindr multiple times for comment.

An image of 3 men with their shirts off, named Michael, Eric and Kyle as they appear on the app Grindr

Grindr allows users to message any account, without needing to “match” prior. Source: Supplied

Grindr may step in and suspend an account until it verify users’ ID if they suspect they’re underage.

“We always take reports [of underage users] seriously, as issues with fake accounts are a major complaint from our users,” Grindr says on its website.

Jamaica said when she opens the app, she is greeted by a barrage of messages from users offering illicit drugs and the occasional outright threat.

“You can message anybody without matching with them first, so there’s no buffer. I get messages from blank profiles hundreds of times a day, offering me money, offering me drugs.”

She’s also found herself in several dangerous situations. On one occasion, Jamaica agreed to meet a man from Grindr at his house in the middle of the night.

“He picked me up, and when I got there, there were two other men in the room and they were all smoking ice,” she said.

“I had no phone charge … no way of getting out. I was drunk. I tell as many people as I can [because] so many bad things could’ve happened to me. I could’ve been raped, murdered, kidnapped. I’m very lucky.”

A phone displaying the LGBTIQ+ dating app Grindr with several men appearing on a grid layout.

Police say dating apps such as Grindr are being used by criminals to target the LGBTIQ+ community. Source: Getty / Robert Way

She said her experiences have made her “paranoid and suspicious” on the app and has had to devise her own method of verifying users.

“It makes me scared to be on dating apps and to meet people because you could be targeted … you could be a victim so easily”.

While Stuart showered, he was being robbed

For Stuart (not his real name), the danger wasn’t a violent ambush. It was quieter. He told The Feed he agreed to meet a man he’d spoken to from Grindr at a hotel, and immediately realised he was being catfished: the man didn’t match his photos.

“The question people have asked is, ‘why did you go up with him?’ … I thought ‘whatever’, even though I had red flags, I had alarm bells going off in my mind,” Stuart said.

What followed was a rushed hookup and an insistence that Stuart showered. And when Stuart got out, he realised his watch wasn’t where he left it.

“I said [to the man], ‘where’s my watch?’ … He immediately bolts into the bathroom and brings me my watch.”

“And then I left. I felt very uncomfortable. I was so glad when the hotel door closed, I just wanted to get back,” Stuart said.

Despite his watch being returned, two days later, Stuart’s bank called.

“Almost $2,000 had been taken,” Stuart said.

Stuart believes the man had taken photos of his credit cards while he showered. And when he went to police, he said he discovered about 20 other men had been victims.

“He’d been defrauding people [for years] … using Grindr for at least five or six years,” Stuart said.

NSW Local Court media told The Feed that a man was convicted in his absence earlier this year over the incident for dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception and possessing identity information to commit an indictable offence.

Why many victims stay silent

Despite the growing list of victims, many incidents are never reported. Both NSW and Victoria Police said that crimes like these are “largely underreported” because of stigma, fear of outing, and distrust in police.

“Many individuals decline to make statements or pursue charges because their families may be unaware of their sexual orientation,” NSW Police told The Feed in a statement.

“There is also a reluctance for victims to go to police because the sensitive nature of the crime.”

A person walking on a road with an lgbtiq+ rainbow pattern

Police in NSW and Victoria told The Feed in the last year, there’s been an increase in crimes against LGBTIQ+ people through the apps designed for them. Source: Getty

When Stuart started discussing the experience in the community, he realised he wasn’t alone.

“So many people messaged me saying it happened to them too — but they didn’t want to go to police … many feel too embarrassed … or may be in what on the surface are monogamous relationship … others may be in the closet,” Stuart said.

“I understand distrust of the police. I understand being in the closet feeling ashamed. And I did – I felt ashamed. I felt embarrassed. But I’m somebody who will speak out when I think something is wrong.”

Are dating apps doing enough?

Jamaica believes the app companies themselves need to step up.

“I definitely think verification of identity would be extremely beneficial,” Jamaica said.

Grindr offers resources such as a scam awareness guide to help users have a safer experience on the app and identify and avoid scams.

“It’s crazy that in the 21st century there’s a level of this even happening at all.”

The Feed has approached Grindr for comment.

The bigger picture

Fortunately, Stuart got his money back, but the incident has left lasting consequences.

“Since that meeting, I’ve barely met anybody, and I would be very concerned about meeting anybody … I’m very sceptical.”

Police are working with groups such as the LGBTIQ+ health organisation ACON to share safety messages on dating apps in locations of “concern”, ACON told The Feed in a statement.

“ACON and NSW Police are also working to raise awareness and suggest ways people can protect their own safety such as meeting in public, verifying identities, and sharing your location with trusted friends when meeting up with people from dating apps.”