Milwaukee police urge caution after rise in ‘bait and switch’ robberies involving dating apps

Milwaukee police are warning residents about a “surge” of recent robberies involving online dating apps. 

A Tuesday safety alert from the Milwaukee Police Department said there have been “several incidents with victims who belong to the LGBTQ+ Community.” 

The safety alert said that in the past two months, suspects were using Grindr to commit bait and switch robberies. 

“The suspect would set a meet up with a victim and rob them or have other suspects there to commit the robbery,” the alert said.

The Milwaukee LGBT Community Center put out safety tips on social media in response to the recent incidents. Ritchie Martin Jr., the executive director, wrote in a statement that the center was “deeply concerned.”

“Connecting with others, whether for friendship, dating, or relationships, should never put someone at risk,” Martin Jr. wrote in the statement. 

Millions of people use online dating apps every year. Michael Zimmer, a computer science professor at Marquette University, said scams and crimes involving the apps have been occurring as long as people have been using the platforms.

“I think this is one of those inherent risks with the use of these kinds of platforms,” Zimmer said. “I think they can provide a lot of benefit for people but … you just really have to be careful.”

Zimmer said a bait and switch robbery can happen when someone using the app agrees to meet up with someone in person. 

“And then suddenly they show up, and then someone else is there, or it’s three people instead of one, and it’s not at all what they’re expecting,” Zimmer said, adding that similar robberies can occur for Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace users.

Police did not provide the number of robberies beyond saying they had surged. A spokesperson for the Milwaukee Police Department said the department was not accommodating any interviews regarding the “recent trend.”

After police issued their warning, members of the Milwaukee Common Council put out an alert Wednesday telling residents to “Swipe With Caution.” Milwaukee Alder Peter Burgelis said police notified him about the robberies last week.

“It was important enough that they reached out to the Common Council so that we can help spread the word that this is a problem and that this is developing into a concern that residents should be aware of,” Burgelis said. 

Burgelis, who was the first openly LGBTQ person elected to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, said his friend was murdered in Philadelphia in 2014 after he met up with another man on the Grindr app. Burgelis said that although recent victims in Milwaukee have been part of the LGBTQ+ community, he said this type of crime “targets everyone.”

“Anytime people’s safety is threatened or endangered, or people get trapped into uncomfortable situations or dangerous situations, it’s a concern for the common council as a whole,” Burgelis said.

How to stay safe

Martin Jr. said it’s important for people who may be uncertain about meeting up with someone on an online dating app to “trust your gut.”

“If something feels off, it probably is,” Martin said in an interview with WPR. 

The Milwaukee Police Department shared a few safety tips for people using online dating apps. Some of those tips include: 

• Researching the person you plan on meeting with before you meet them
• Telling someone else where you’re going and what your plans are if you plan on meeting up with someone on a dating app
• Meet in a public place
• Stay sober
• Don’t give out private information when meeting up for a date, and “never entertain requests for money.” 

RAINN, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, also has safety tips for online dating. They include never sharing personal and private information and keeping the conversation on the dating app, as many dating apps “offer protections and reporting tools you won’t find on other channels,” according to the safety tips.

“Never send money or financial information to someone you’ve only met online, no matter how convincing their story seems,” the RAINN website said. “Report suspicious behavior—like requests for money—to the app or website you’re using.”