Grindr
Grindr has been named in 12 documented digital harm incidents, including 1 fatality and 2 involving minors. The most common harm domain is Fraud & Financial, followed by Unknown.
Documented Incidents
12Pune Crime News: Grindr Meet Turns Into Nightmare; Man Assaulted, Blackmailed For ₹10,000
A young man in Pune was assaulted and blackmailed after meeting someone on the dating app Grindr. The incident occurred in the Nanded City area on July 17, 2025. The accused, identified as Robin alias Shubham Upendra Kamble, lured the victim into a car, assaulted him in an open field, and recorded a video to blackmail him for ₹10,000. The victim was threatened with the video being shared publicly if he refused to pay and had ₹10,000 transferred from his friend’s digital wallets. One suspect was arrested and remanded to police custody, while the second suspect, Omkar Mandlik, remains at large. A case has been registered under multiple sections of the IPC 2023.
21-year-old man robbed after meeting on Grindr app in Santa Cruz, Trinidad, leading to $24,100 in stolen valuables and car theft
A 21-year-old man from Samaroo Village, Arima, was robbed after arranging to meet someone through the Grindr app in Santa Cruz on May 29. Around 12:30 am, he parked his silver Honda Civic on Seau D'eau Road and walked into a dirt track, where he was confronted by four masked men who announced a robbery. The assailants stole his black side pouch, which contained a wallet, an iPhone XR, a Samsung A15 cell phone, and the car keys, with the stolen items valued at $24,100. The suspects then drove off in the victim’s Honda Civic. The man reported the incident around 2 am on May 30 at the San Juan Police Station. Police reviewed CCTV footage and conducted searches but were unable to locate the suspects, and PC Marshall is continuing the investigation.
Four Grindr users in Noida extorted money through blackmail leading to police arrests
Four individuals were arrested in Noida for blackmailing and extorting money through the Grindr dating app. The accused—Daksh alias Captain, Bhupendra alias Bhuppi, Jai Raghav, and Honey—befriended users on the app, invited them to meet in person, and then threatened and extorted money from them. The incident occurred in Noida and was reported on May 19, 2025. Police registered a case against the suspects under relevant sections of the BNS and the IT Act. Mobile phones and illegal weapons were also seized during the arrests.
26-year-old Chennai businessman robbed of gold and silver after Grindr-arranged meeting turns into home invasion
A 26-year-old Chennai businessman was robbed of 31 sovereigns of gold and 4 kilograms of silver after a meeting arranged through the Grindr app turned into a home invasion. The incident occurred in Vyasarpadi on an unspecified date when three individuals—two men and a woman—arrived at his residence instead of the expected acquaintance. The intruders allegedly tied up the victim, ransacked the house, and engaged in a sexual act with him while he was restrained. The suspects fled with the stolen jewelry, valued at several lakhs of rupees, before police rescued the victim after he called for help from a locked bathroom. Chennai Police Commissioner Arun has taken charge of the investigation, following an April 10 warning he issued about the misuse of Grindr for criminal activities.
38-year-old London microbiologist lured to death and dismembered via Grindr in Santa Marta, Colombia
A 38-year-old London-based microbiologist named Alessandro Coatti was lured to his death and dismembered in Santa Marta, Colombia, last month, according to police. Coatti, who had recently worked at the Royal Society of Biology, was last seen leaving his hostel on April 4 and was found dismembered in multiple suitcases and a coffee bag over the following days. Police believe a local group of thieves used the dating app Grindr to target him and lure him to an abandoned house, where they intended to incapacitate him with scopolamine. A coroner determined Coatti died from blunt force trauma to the head. Local activists reported 13 similar dismemberment murders in the area over the past year. Santa Marta’s mayor offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.
13-year-old girl sex trafficked after meeting groomer on Snapchat leading to sexual assault in Bucks County Pennsylvania
A 13-year-old girl became a sex trafficking victim after meeting a 29-year-old man online through Snapchat. The man, Zachary Lee McCauley, lied about his age and groomed the girl for sexual images. He then forced her to create a Grindr account, which led to her being picked up by two men in Bucks County, Pennsylvania: 42-year-old Randy Francis Quinn and 67-year-old Thomas Van Ingen, who sexually assaulted her. McCauley allegedly threatened the girl’s mother to coerce her into these encounters. The girl’s mother became aware of the abuse in February after hearing about a separate child sex abuse case and contacted authorities. Three men have been charged in the case, with McCauley being held in Kentucky awaiting extradition, while the two Bucks County men were released on bail.
Gay men in Birmingham defrauded of £100,000+ via Grindr dating app robbery scheme over ten months
A gang used the dating app Grindr to lure men in Birmingham for violent robberies. The group stole over £100,000 from victims who believed they were meeting potential romantic partners. The crimes occurred over a ten-month period in Birmingham, with attacks taking place at Sparkbrook's Golden Hillock Sports Ground. Five men were convicted of conspiracy to rob at Birmingham Crown Court on January 13. The gang forced victims to unlock their phones and drain their bank and cryptocurrency accounts. The robbers targeted gay and bisexual men, as noted by the judge, who stated the crimes were rooted in homophobia.
Gay men targeted for extortion and robbery via Tinder in Delhi, leading to hostage situations and financial loss
A gang in Delhi used the Tinder dating app to target gay men by pretending to share similar sexual preferences, leading to extortion, robbery, and hostage situations. The group, which included five individuals—Arjun (24), Nitin (23), Akash (24), Faizan (19), and a minor—arranged meetings with victims, then threatened and blackmailed them for money. One victim was taken to a house in Pratap Nagar, forced to strip, and robbed of Rs 1.25 lakh after being coerced into revealing his bank password. The victim was held hostage briefly before being released. Police tracked the gang using technical surveillance and local intelligence, recovering the victim’s stolen phone from Nitin, who is believed to be the main accused. The gang has confessed to the crime, and investigations are ongoing.
Gay man ambushed and assaulted by group in Tauranga after meeting on Grindr, leading to ongoing trauma and depression
A gay man was lured to a Tauranga house using a fake profile on the dating app Grindr and then ambushed, attacked, and abused by a group of young men. The victim was surrounded, kicked, threatened, and filmed during the assault, with one attacker, Ryan William Purves, 18, repeatedly kicking him and threatening a police officer. The attackers called the victim a derogatory name for gay men and falsely accused him of being a paedophile. The victim, who has permanent name suppression, described the incident as a hate crime and reported ongoing trauma, including nightmares, panic attacks, and depression. Purves pleaded guilty to assault and assaulting police and was sentenced to community work and supervision. The victim impact statement highlighted the lasting emotional and psychological scars from the attack.
Man with girlfriend and young daughter defrauded of £210 via online dating site sextortion scheme
Jimmy Featherstone, known as "Hull's Ken Doll," blackmailed two men through "sextortion" by demanding money and threatening to distribute intimate images, causing significant distress. The first victim, a man with a girlfriend and young daughter, was targeted after he sent photos to someone he believed was a woman on an online dating site. Featherstone, 25, of Hessle Road, west Hull, admitted blackmailing the first man between August 17 and 19, 2022, and later blackmailing a second man on January 2, 2023. The first victim paid a total of £210 in installments after Featherstone repeatedly demanded money and threatened to share his intimate images. The second man was also threatened with the distribution of a picture and received a PayPal request for £50, though no money was transferred. Featherstone had a history of 12 previous convictions, including stalking and breaching restraining orders, and was given a 20-month suspended prison sentence, drug rehabilitation, and a three-year restraining order.
Man in Uttar Pradesh loses ₹1.40 lakh after lured into sexual encounter via Grindr app and secretly filmed by gang in Ghaziabad
A man in Uttar Pradesh lost ₹1.40 lakh after being lured into a sexual encounter via the Grindr dating app and subsequently filmed by a group of individuals. The incident occurred in Ghaziabad when the victim was invited to a flat, where others secretly recorded him during the encounter. The accused—Rinku, Ajay, and Shubham—were arrested by police after a tip-off, with Rinku identified as the mastermind. Police recovered three mobile phones, ₹10,000 in cash, and three ID cards from Rinku, which are being verified. The investigation suggests the gang may have targeted multiple victims, and two other suspects remain at large.
35-year-old man from Mumbai loses ₹3 lakh to romance scam on Grindr app
A man from Mumbai lost ₹3 lakh after being befriended by scammers on the Grindr app. The criminals, who posed as potential romantic partners, convinced him to send money under various pretexts. The fraudsters were later identified as two brothers and were arrested by police. The incident occurred in Mumbai and was reported by Hindustan Times.