CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Police in South Carolina searched for a woman and two men who seem to be finding victims on dating apps.
Two different victims in Greenville said they were going to meet a woman they were chatting with on a dating app called Plenty of Fish when they were beaten and robbed at gunpoint.
In both cases, the men were in their cars, pulling up to meet their date. They said the woman walked up and distracted them, then two armed men rushed up and attacked.
“Recently we’ve had several cases where people using dating apps have become victims of crime,” Greenville police officer Michelle Lentz said in a video posted to the department's Facebook page on Friday.
The victims told police the woman was using the name “Jordan Alexis” on the app, although after the robberies, it appears she changed it to “Jaaiken.”
Police said if you’re meeting up with someone you met online, start in a public place and do a little internet sleuthing beforehand.
Officer Lentz suggested reverse searching their photos and finding them on other social media sites to make sure they are who they say they are.
“It’s not creeping; it’s being safe,” she said.
Police also said these criminals tend to look for profiles that reflect good jobs and nice cars -- someone who might have money. They also target married people, since they’re less likely to report the crime.