Police are appealing for more victims to come forward after a series of burglaries, thefts and fraud offences allegedly linked to the dating app Grindr \u2013 with two men from Harrow arrested as part of the investigation.<\/p>\n
The Met Police said around 50 offences have taken place between October 2024 and March 2025 across London. Victims were allegedly targeted through the Grindr app, with some crimes happening inside their homes.<\/p>\n
Officers from the Met\u2019s Specialist Crime Command are leading the investigation and believe there may be more unreported cases.<\/p>\n
Superintendent Owen Renowden, the Met\u2019s hate crime lead, said: \u201cThis is a series of pre-planned offences where unsuspecting victims have been targeted, often in their own homes, resulting in high-value items being taken.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the majority of cases, the suspects would arrange to meet the victims at their homes via the Grindr app, and once inside, would steal high value items including mobile phones.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn other reports we have received, they build a rapport with the victim while paying close attention to the pin number they enter into their phones before using distraction techniques to steal them, going on to make various digital payments and transactions.<\/p>\n
\u201cDue to the volume of these offences and the serious impact on the safety of both individuals and communities, we are treating them as potential hate crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n