A Christchurch man has shared his terrifying experience of being attacked and robbed during a Grindr meetup, only to have one of his attackers later attempt to break into his home.

He shared his story with chrislynchmedia.com to warn others about the dangers of the dating app and advocate for stronger safety measures.

The ordeal began early Saturday morning when the young man connected with someone on Grindr who claimed to be a 19-year-old seeking a casual meetup.  The individual invited him to Barrington Mall’s car park, explaining he could not ‘host’ at home.

At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but when the man arrived, he immediately noticed something was off. “His photo didn’t match the profile,” he said. “When I asked, he told me it was his friend’s photo because he was ‘down low’ and not out to his parents. That explanation made sense at the time, so I went along with it.”

The man agreed to walk with the individual, who claimed he needed to retrieve something from a nearby house. But things quickly turned sinister. “He suddenly became aggressive and said he was targeting older people on the app,” the man recounted. “Then three other guys rushed out and attacked me.”

The man told chrislynchmedia.com he was punched in the head, leaving him concussed, and kicked multiple times in the ribs. The attackers stole his wallet, car keys, and phone. “I didn’t even realise they’d taken my driver’s license until later—that’s when it hit me. They now know where I live,” he said.

 

 

Despite his injuries, he managed to use his Apple Watch to call the police. “I was concussed, my memory was cloudy, but I tried to explain what had happened,” he said.

“The police didn’t seem to take me seriously. They didn’t take me to the hospital or wait for my memory to clear. I was left to deal with everything myself.”

The following day, Barrington Mall security reviewed CCTV footage, confirming the assault. While the police investigation is ongoing, the man said he feels unsafe knowing the attackers have his address.

“I felt worse the next morning and decided to seek medical attention. The doctors confirmed I’d been concussed, and I was experiencing blurred vision, dizziness, and other symptoms,” he said.

But his ordeal wasn’t over. In the early hours of Sunday morning, one of the attackers, he said, returned to his house and attempted to gain entry using the stolen keys. “I saw him on my security camera. He had my keys with a distinctive keychain. Thankfully, we’d secured the locks, so he couldn’t get in, but it was terrifying.”

The experience has left him shaken both emotionally and financially. He has had to reprogram his car keys, change the locks at his home, and cancel his driver’s license. “It’s cost me hundreds of dollars, and I’m worried about identity theft because my wallet had all my personal information,” he said.

He also voiced frustration with Grindr, saying the app has become increasingly unsafe. “It used to feel like a safe space, but now it’s a breeding ground for criminals. They should require ID verification to prevent fake profiles. Right now, anyone can make an account with a fake name—it’s far too easy,” he said.

He hopes his story will encourage others to take precautions. “You don’t think something like this will happen to you until it does. Meet in public places, share your location with someone you trust, and don’t take unnecessary risks.”

 

Police confirmed they were investigating the assault and robbery.

A spokesperson said, “Enquiries are ongoing following reports of a robbery of an individual on Barrington Street, reported around 12:30am. It appears their phone and keys were stolen. Their phone has since been recovered from the car park.”

They encouraged anyone with information to contact police online or via 105, quoting file number 241123/9975. This attack comes after a series of violent incidents in Christchurch targeting users of Grindr. In April 2023, multiple men were lured to secluded locations and brutally assaulted by groups of youths.

In February 2024, five youths were sentenced for their roles in those attacks. The offenders had created fake Grindr profiles to lure victims to meetings, where they were attacked and, in some cases, filmed during the assaults.