Two teenage girls charged with armed robbery after dating app heist

They thought they were using a popular dating app to arrange a hook-up in Broadmeadows — but three unsuspecting victims got a nasty surprise and the romance quickly turned cold when they finally met their love interest.

Three unsuspecting men have been duped by a pair of armed Lolitas who lured them to a meet using an online dating app then allegedly robbed them at knifepoint.

Fawkner Embona Taskforce detectives swooped on the 17-year-old duo after the alleged month-long dating scam saw three men robbed in Broadmeadows.

Sergeant Daniel Jacuta told the Leader the girls met the men on Skout — a US-based social networking and dating application — where they chatted before organising to meet in person.

Sgt Jacuta said the romance quickly turned cold for the first victim — a 25-year-old Dandenong man — who arrived in Cavendish St on July 23 expecting to meet with a potential love interest.

Instead, he was confronted by two armed thieves only interested in his phone.

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The trio got into a fight and Sgt Jacuta said the girls produced a knife and stole the man’s mobile phone then ran away.

On August 5 the pair targeted a 19-year-old Lalor man they also met on Skout, allegedly again producing the knife and stealing $100 and bank cards at the corner of Pearcedale Pde and Coleraine St.

Sgt Jacuta said the girls then met a third man, also 19 from Lalor, in Cavendish St on August 11.

“Again an altercation took place and again they produced a knife,” he said.

“They stole money from him, about $70, and fled.”

Sgt Jacuta said all three men were only expecting to meet with one woman.

Detectives arrested one of the 17-year-old girls in Fawkner on August 19 and the other girl two days later.

Both have been charged with three counts of armed robbery.

Phone selling advice and what to watch out for. Source: Victoria Police

One girl was remanded to face a children’s court on September 6, with her alleged accomplice bailed to front the same court on September 17.

It’s not the first time social networking sites have been linked to armed heists.

A 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty to armed robbery in July this year after pointing a gun at a man and robbing him of three pairs Nike Air Max Plus shoes worth $630 he was trying to sell on Facebook Marketplace.

And in November 2017 a Gumtree seller had his legs crushed by a car when the prospective buyer of his phone handed over counterfeit cash and drove off.

Sgt Jacuta urged caution when organising to meet strangers through online contact.

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“We ask people to remain vigilant as the person purporting to be on the other end may not necessarily be the person who you they think they are,” he said.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner website advises people to meet in a public place, such as a shopping centre, cafe or restaurant when meeting someone for the first time.

“Share their profile with a friend and tell them where you are meeting … never meet at a secluded spot or someone else’s place (and) have your own transport or way home,” it said.

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