Sydney Man Arrested After Allegedly Defrauding Men Through Grindr To Finance Luxury Hotels

A man accused of defrauding men he met through Grindr by allegedly using their identities to finance stays at luxury hotels has been arrested in Sydney.

The man, who was tracked down at a luxury Sydney hotel, is alleged to have stolen personal and financial details from victims he met through the dating app Grindr.

An investigation by Channel 7 News uncovered the man’s identity, and revealed that NSW Police arrested him after a tip off from the outlet. 

According to 7NEWS, the alleged scam involved inviting men to expensive hotels through Grindr, where he would secretly photograph identification documents and credit cards while they were in the shower. These stolen details were then allegedly used to pay for his own accommodation and fund an extravagant lifestyle.

Authorities believe this alleged scheme may have been running for several years, with several victims coming forward and speaking to the outlet about their experiences. 

One man, identified as Mei, said he had been targeted by the accused in July 2021. Mei estimated that the scam could have netted the perpetrator anywhere between $100,000 to $200,000 per year. 

“(He’s been) doing it since 2019 easily … that’s $1 million in hotel scams,” Mei said to 7NEWS. “Living day by day on the run, hooking up with everyone and anyone to get you through to the next place.”

Frustrated by what he saw as a slow response from the justice system, Mei said, “I gave up on trying to stop the man through the normal justice process because it goes nowhere.”

7NEWS spoke to several other men who all allege similar stories of fraud and theft.

The suspect’s history of alleged fraud extends beyond Sydney, with reports of previous criminal activity dating back to 2014. He had prior convictions in Adelaide, as well as a warrant of apprehension in Adelaide from 2018. 

The man has also reportedly breached community correction orders in both Victoria and NSW. 

The investigation leading to his capture involved months of work by law enforcement, who gathered evidence from CCTV footage, banking transactions, hotel records, and police reports. 

Further investigation revealed that the suspect used a Grindr profile featuring photos of a Chinese national whose images had been taken from social media. 

Due to legal reasons, the man’s identity has not been publicly released.

When 7NEWS attempted to contact this individual via social media, he did not respond and eventually blocked journalists.

Following his arrest, the suspect was issued a court attendance notice and is set to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on March 3, where he will face charges related to fraud and identity offenses.

NSW Police urge anyone who believes they may have been a victim of this scheme to come forward.