"One victim was left hospitalised with stress after their finances were "destroyed" when loans, credit agreements and overdrafts were taken out using their name. Sentencing the pair at Iselworth Crown Court on Monday, Judge Adenike Bologun said the gang were relying on victims "being too embarrassed to report the crime". But she said she wasn't persuaded that the offences demonstrated hostility to the victims based on their sexual orientation, adding that "this was an opportunistic offence.""
"Met Police officers told BBC News that multiple men were targeted per week by repeatedly making new profiles on the app. Once inside their homes, the duo distracted the men and persuaded them to unlock their phones by requesting to use them to play music, sometimes asking the victim to take a shower before sex, and then escaping with the device or other valuable items."
"The gang would then use debit and credit cards stored on the phones and on one occassion accessed a victim's bank account and stole money by transferring cash. On another occasion, they convinced a man to meet them in a nearby park. Getty Images Proescuting, David Patience, read statements by the victims to the court describing the damage done to their confidence and finances."
Two men, Rahmad Khan Mohammadi, 23, and Mohammed Bilal Hotak, 21, used the Grindr dating app to target men across London. They carried out 35 burglaries and 20 related frauds over six months, stealing phones, passports and wallets and causing losses totalling 68,000. Victims suffered financial devastation, with at least one hospitalised after loans, credit agreements and overdrafts were taken out in their name. The pair used fake profiles, arranged meetings, and persuaded victims to unlock phones or leave property unattended before fleeing with valuables. Sentencing imposed a combined eight-and-a-half years, with the judge describing the crimes as opportunistic.
Read at www.bbc.com
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