LGBTQI+ community warned after more than 30 people charged in string of dating app attacks in Victoria
Police have urged members of the LGBTQI + community to be vigilant following a string of attacks on men using dating apps and social media.
The series of attacks in Victoria involved men being lured to meet with the alleged offenders and then allegedly robbed, threatened and subjected to homophobic comments, the state's police said.
Other victims were allegedly filmed, with the videos posted online to social media accounts.
'There is absolutely no place for this type of concerning behaviour in our society. It will not be tolerated,' Acting Superintendent Carolyn Deer said.
'Everyone has a right to go about their lives, meet new people and start a relationship in safety.'
Police said more than 30 arrests have been made since October last year, some allegedly acting in groups, with charges ranging from armed robbery, to kidnapping and false imprisonment.
The alleged offenders were mostly young males aged between the ages of 13 and 20, police said.
'We know this has been a distressing situation for the victims involved — and these arrests show just how serious we are in holding offenders to account,' Deer said.
'As when using any app or social media platform, please always remain vigilant by protecting your identity and location and verifying the other person's identity before meeting up.
' Victoria Police is committed to the safety and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ communities, and we take any report of this behaviour extremely seriously and investigate.'
Dating app users are warned that reporting incidents to the app does not mean it will automatically be reported to police.
Police can request information from dating apps to help solve investigations and conduct criminal investigations, even if one user has blocked or deleted someone from the app.
'Police are continuing to work with selected dating apps as part of the investigation, including to publish proactive safety messaging on the platforms with reporting options and support services,' they said.
In an emergency, call 000.
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