Man beaten, robbed by fake online date

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This article was published 13/08/2017 (2460 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg man was assaulted and robbed by several people Monday morning after arranging to meet with a woman through a popular online dating service.

The victim arrived at a residence in the 100 block of Tyndall Avenue shortly after midnight, and after being greeted by the woman and invited inside, he was beaten and robbed.

After fleeing the home, the attackers chased after the victim and assaulted him again in the area of Burrows and Tyndall avenues.

After the second assault, the man escaped to safety and informed police.

Incidents of dating-site-related assaults and robberies are being reported more frequently lately, and it’s something police will keep their eyes on moving forward, Const. Tammy Skrabek said.

Many victims of similar attacks are reluctant to come forward, Skrabek said. She hopes that as more people tell police, fewer incidents will go unreported.

“The more we release information that this is something that’s happening, the more the victims will actually come forward and make the police report,” she said.

The woman who allegedly set up the robbery did not live in the home — however, police believe she knew someone who lived there and was using the house at the time the incident occurred, and saw it as an “excellent opportunity to rob somebody,” Skrabek said.

The owners of the home are not believed to be involved in the attack, and police have yet to identify any suspects or take anyone into custody.

It’s troubling to have people victimizing those who are simply looking for a date online, said Skrabek.

Because incidents like these are happening with increasing frequency, police recommend meeting in public places, such as coffee shops.

“If you decide ‘Let’s go back to a house,’ then you do,” Skrabek advised.

Anyone with information that may be helpful to investigators is asked to call 204-986-6219, or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477.

ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca