DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit Police are now releasing a picture of a suspect in several armed robberies. The robber is using the dating apps to find people to rob.
Detroit Police say they know about four cases, but they believe there are likely more that go unreported. They are hoping you recognize the suspect.
He set up fake profiles pretending to be a woman looking for a man on Snapchat and Tinder.
“Leading a man to believe they are going to meet them for a date,” said Capt Nick Kyriacou, of the Detroit Police Department’s Tenth Precinct.
The robber has asked all of his victims to meet in neighborhoods not far from the area of Wyoming and the Lodge.
“The suspect will come out of the darkness, get the drop on him with a firearm. In one instance the victim was robbed of cash and valuables right there. In the three other instances because they didn’t have cash on them, he forced the victims to go to an ATM to withdraw cash,” said Kyriacou.
Police say one way to protect yourself is to set up any date in a public place such as a restaurant or mall where there are surveillance cameras to gather evidence.
“If they won’t do that, there is your sign that you probably shouldn’t meet up with that person,” said Kyriacou.
One thing the robber did was tell his would-be dates to bring flowers. Police say that is a code used by prostitutes. The message is bring money. Not all of the victims knew the hidden meaning.
