Online Meetup Leads To Beating, Robbery: Aurora Police

AURORA, IL — Police warned people Monday about the dangers of meeting someone through a social media app. Around 5:55 p.m. Jan. 2, officials said a 19-year-old man reported he had been robbed and beaten by several men after he met a woman on the MeetMe app the previous day.

The woman had him pick her up at a home in the 700 block of N. May Street, then asked him to take her to a home one block over, in the 700 block of N. View Street, according to police. When they walked into the apartment at that second location, five men suddenly appeared from another room. The man got nervous and was able to quickly leave, but the five men followed him. By the time the victim got to his car, the men punched him repeatedly and took his cell phone, wallet and other items worth over $500, police said. The victim refused medical attention. Aurora police said MeetMe and other social media/web dating sites offer criminals anonymity.

A similar story with the same app happened Nov. 29, when a 22-year-old Naperville man met up with a woman who allegedly had a group of people waiting to beat him up so they could steal his wallet, cell phone and keys, according to police. The victim was treated at an Aurora hospital for cuts and scrapes.

"They can be very adept at gaining trust (and personal information) without you knowing exactly who you are dealing with. These types of incidents occur pretty regularly and are very difficult to investigate because the criminals know how to hide their tracks," said police Monday.

At the least, they recommend talking over the phone before agreeing to meet in public, and verifying information through a Google search.

If anyone happens to have any information on the robbery, police encourage calling Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at 630-892-1000.

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