Seven people have been arrested in Georgia in connection with a scheme involving fraudulent online dating profiles, according to the Central Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor General’s Office detained seven people in connection with a brutal scheme in which they attracted men with fake online dating.
Those arrested are being charged with abetting group attack, looting and extortion.
According to information given to authorities, an individual formed an organized group and devised a conspiracy to target people in the community with the purpose of causing bodily injuries and robbing their cash and property.
They created fake profiles on the social network as women, with which they linked to different men, and planned meetings with people at the previously selected locations by the group itself, in the name of a date.
“You take your man to his mother, and they beat him when he arrives.” As claimed by the police, the accused victimised people in this case by not only physically but also mentally torturing them. The accused are also accused of stealing cash and other belongings from the persons.
However, that’s not where the suffering ended. Group members allegedly recorded the assaults on mobile phones and used the footage to blackmail and extort money from victims. Cold weapons, masks and tactical equipment, and phones and computers, were seized by police in searches connected to the case. Police are likely to analyze the devices as part of the inquiry.
The crime was being investigated in accordance with art. 178,181 and 225 of the Criminal Code of Georgia. 178, 181 and 225 art. Punishable by imprisonment of up to 12 years.
The case remains open, officials said. They said they are seeking others involved in the case for arrest.
The case also highlights the risks associated with social media and online dating, as well as how digital communications can be used as evidence. Police advise people to avoid meeting individuals they have only communicated with online, particularly in unfamiliar or isolated locations. Anyone with information about the group or who has experienced a similar incident is urged to contact the police.
As with all criminal cases the seven will be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
