Hunt for homophobic hate gang after young men are lured in on dating apps before being brutally attacked
- Call QLife for anonymous support on 1800 184 527
Gay men on dating apps are being targeted by criminals who lure their victims into vulnerable situations and then assault them.
Western Australia police have warned men to be careful on dating apps after several people were beaten up in Perth.
The victims were “surrounded and attacked by several men, while being subjected to homophobic insults” after being lured to certain locations under the pretense of a date.
Perpetrators use legitimate dating accounts, but once victims meet, they discover they have been victims of catfishing.
Police are warning all men in the city who identify as sexually or gender diverse to be extremely cautious when meeting up with strangers they meet online.
“In any case, the male victims, who believe they have spoken to legitimate users, have agreed to meet someone they have previously come into contact with via a dating app,” a police spokesperson said.
Police confirmed that videos of the attacks have also appeared on social media.
The police spokesman added that some victims even had their cars damaged as they tried to escape their attackers.
Western Australia police have warned men to be careful on dating apps after several people were beaten up by violent mobs in Perth
An investigation has been launched into the attacks andDetectives have already spoken to a number of victims.
Western Australia Police Detective Constable Matt Froude confirmed his unit “works tirelessly to track down and hold these offenders to account”.
“We take this behavior extremely seriously and there is no place for this type of targeted violence in our community,” he said.
‘While incidents of this nature are rare, we treat them with the utmost seriousness and encourage victims to come forward so we can investigate.’
Detective Froude added that the attackers ‘you would expect Western Australian police officers to come to your door’.
Police are warning all men in the city who identify as sexually or gender diverse to be extremely cautious when meeting strangers they meet online
The advice we give to all men of different genders who want to meet someone through a dating app is to do so in a public and well-lit place.
Police also advise these men to inform their family and friends about where they are going and who they are going to meet before they leave.
“Some of these apps have built-in security features that allow you to share your live location with trusted contacts for added security during meetings,” Detective Froude said.
Western Australia Police are urging other victims of similar attacks to get in touch Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.