Oklahoma City Police Warning Of Rise In Robberies Involving Dating Apps

A crime alert for people who use dating apps. Metro police said they are cracking down on a rise in robberies, all stemming from those apps.

OKC investigators tell News 9 they've gotten several reports of this, where two people agree to meet for a date, only for one of them to end the night getting robbed.

"It's usually a private place that they meet at," said Sgt. Dillon Quirk, with Oklahoma City Police. "At which point the other suspects come into the picture and rob the victim at gunpoint."

Investigates said they've seen various cases, even including a carjacking. In one police report filed this month, it says a man had met a woman at a hotel pool.

Later that evening she stopped by his room, asking him to help her find her phone. That's when he gets a knock at his door, coming face to face with three armed men asking for his wallet.

A separate incident showed a similar trend. A man met a woman on an app and then picked up her and her friends.

He dropped them off at an apartment complex and one of them pulled a gun on him and asked for everything he had. He ran away but heard a gunshot.

"Thankfully, it could have been a lot more serious," said Quirk. "They were just grazed by the bullet, not actually struck."

Police said they have made some arrests in these cases and they're still working to identify some of the suspects.

"It's really just a crime of opportunity for the suspect to get this victim alone," Quirk said. "It's important to remember if you meet somebody either on a dating site or in person make sure that you meet in a public space and we're wanting to make the public aware."

If you have been a victim in cases like this before or have any other information, you're asked to call Crime Stoppers at 405-235-7300.