Two men used Grindr to meet and target victims before meeting them at their homes and stealing their phones in a series of “callous, calculated, and pre-planned offences”, police said.
Rahmat Khan Mohammadi, 22, and Mohammed Bilal Hotak, 21, would start conversations with “unsuspecting” men on the dating app before arranging to meet them at their homes.
There, the pair would use a series of “distraction tactics” to access the handsets before making a quick getaway, often accessing bank accounts on the phones to make payments and withdraw money.
They were found guilty of burglary, fraud and theft at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday, and will be sentenced at a later date.
The Metropolitan Police said they launched an investigation after being alerted to reports of several phone thefts across the capital, with all the victims targeted in the same way.
Mohammadi and Hotak would connect and initiate conversations with men over Grindr and arrange to meet them at their homes. Once there, they would discover mobile phone passwords before stealing their handsets and making a quick exit from the property, often using a getaway vehicle waiting nearby, police said.
The pair would then access the victim’s personal data to make payments, withdraw money or transfer funds to other accounts. In some cases, they would steal other high value items such as wallets, passports and watches.
Superintendent Owen Renowden, the Met’s hate crime lead who oversaw the investigation, said he “welcomed” the conviction, adding the Met is “fully committed to ensuring all communities in London feel safe”.
“Mohammadi and Hotak carried out a series of callous, calculated, pre-planned offences across London, targeting unsuspecting men and resulting in high-value items and money being stolen, and I welcome today’s outcome at court,” he said.
“I’d like to praise the victims who have shown great strength throughout our investigation, as well the Met’s LGBT+ Advisory Group and the LGBT+ anti-abuse charity, GALOP, which enabled us to ensure we conducted our work with sensitivity and care.
“The Met is fully committed to ensuring all communities in London feel safe, as well as continuing to enhance the trust and confidence LGBT+ people place in us. Organised crime has a devastating impact on society and will simply not be tolerated.”
