Man robbed at gunpoint in latest dating app violent incident

A 59-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint during a dating appointment on the Ir. Lelystraat in Waalwijk on Sunday around 7 p.m. Police are looking for witnesses. They also issued a new warning asking online dating app users to be particularly careful when arranging in-person meetings.

The victim was supposed to meet someone there whom he had met on a dating site. However, while he was waiting, two men entered his car. The victim was punched in the face and threatened with a firearm. He suffered a head injury and had to hand over his phone and bank card.

After the perpetrators ran away, the victim alerted his friends. According to the victim, one of the perpetrators has a light complexion, was wearing a gray tracksuit with a hood, and is approximately 25 years old. The other perpetrator is somewhat older, around 35, and was wearing black clothing.

Witnesses or anyone with relevant information or footage about the incident are encouraged to call 0900-8844. To report anonymously, the number is 0800-7000, with the file number 2023307778.

The police also issued a warning asking online dating app users to be particularly careful when arranging to meet people via dating sites. “Unfortunately, the police often see that street robbers and muggers lure potential victims to specific locations through dating sites, where they are then robbed, often violently,” they wrote.

Police advise people to inform a close contact about the meeting's exact location when planning to meet someone they do not know and to organize a first-time meeting in a public space, where people are around, instead of at someone’s residence.

In mid-November, the police already warned online dating app users to be vigilant. The Limburg police said they were especially concerned about appointments made over certain unspecified dating sites "often result" in violence, extortion, or someone being held against their will. "We see a kind of trend emerging," explained a criminal investigation department team leader with the Limburg police.

The stigma that comes with being victimized in such a scheme means police do not know exactly how many people have been scammed by moving from an online chat to an in-person date.