Gang convicted of organised robberies after luring victims on Grindr

A gang of five men are facing jail time after committing a series of organised robberies that targeted victims on Grindr.

The robberies, which took place in Birmingham and Derby between 2023 and 2024, saw the perpetrators catfish their victims before organising to meet up with them at various locations under false pretences.

When the victims arrived, the men would trap and violently assault them, before stealing their belongings. Some victims were held for hours while the gang used their phones to make large bank transfers.

During their crime spree, Demalji Hadza, 21, Abubaker Alezawy, 21, Ali Hassan, 20, Wasim Omar, 24, and Mohammed Sharif, 22, all hailing from Birmingham stole over £100,000.

“These defendants specifically targeted members of the LGBTQ+ community to rob them of their money and belongings”

According to West Midlands Police, the gang also stole house keys and vehicles. They would then threaten victims with large weapons. The men hid their identity with masks or face coverings, sometimes holding victims faces down into the ground to prevent identification.

The gang also targeted those on the street, faking injuries to lure victims before attacking and robbing them.

Their victims included two men, who were targeted on Markeaton Street, Derby as they walked home from a nightclub. The men were assaulted and robbed at knifepoint, as was another victim, who was attacked at Golden Hillock Sports Ground car park.

One victim believed that he was meeting a man named ‘Noah’ from Grindr at the same location. When he arrived, he was instead assaulted by three of the men, who threatened to stab him and stole his phone, bankcard and pin codes. They also stole the victim’s car.

The same thing happened to another victim, who was assaulted and had £25,000 stolen from his bank account. Two more victims, who had agreed to meet one of the fake profiles on Grindr, also had thousands of pounds stolen.

West Midlands Police said that injuries sustained by the victims included broken eye sockets, a dislocated shoulder, and a broken nose, with many needing hospital treatment.

“Dating and romance scammers lower their target’s defences by building an online relationship”

As per Birmingham Live, Detective Inspector Tom Lyons of West Midlands Police’s Major Crime Unit said: “This was a calculated series of robberies with Hadza, Alezawy, Hasan, Omar and Sharif, deliberately targeting victims because they believed they were vulnerable, easy targets. My team conducted a lengthy investigation which required piecing together many strands of evidence.”

He added: “I know it took the victims in this case a huge amount of bravery and courage to come forward and support the criminal justice process through to trial – and I commend them for doing so.”

A spokesperson for the West Midlands Police added: “Dating and romance scammers lower their target’s defences by building an online relationship, then asking for larger and larger sums of money. Well-meaning men and women have both fallen victim to this.”

“These defendants specifically targeted members of the LGBTQ+ community to rob them of their money and belongings,” said Georgina Davies, of the Crown Prosecution Service. “They may have thought that the victims would not report the offences, but we were able to hold all five defendants accountable for their actions.”

The five men are due to be sentenced on November 28 and 29 at Birmingham Crown Court.