ARD documentary exposes targeted attacks via dating apps

An ARD documentary titled ‘Jagd auf Schwule – Wer steckt hinter den Fake-Dates?’ has uncovered a pattern of targeted attacks against gay men using dating applications such as Grindr and Romeo. Research conducted by ‘team. recherche’ indicates that more than 70 such cases have been reported across Germany over the last decade, with 34 cases documented in 2025 alone. The actual number of incidents is believed to be significantly higher, as only approximately one in ten victims reports the crimes.

In these incidents, perpetrators use dating platforms to arrange meetings with victims, subsequently robbing, assaulting, or humiliating them. Some attackers operate in organized groups, sharing recordings of their crimes on chat platforms. The investigation also explores the ‘Pedo-Hunter’ scene, where individuals sometimes pose as minors to confront suspected pedophiles, often conflating homosexuality with pedophilia. The documentary includes insights from the Verfassungsschutz Baden-Württemberg regarding these phenomena.