Mounties in Richmond have issued a warning to the public after two users of the dating app Tantan were assaulted and in one case, kidnapped and robbed at knifepoint.
According to an RCMP statement issued Tuesday, the first incident took place shortly after 7 a.m. on Saturday at a home in southwest Richmond, where a 32-year-old man had arranged to meet with another Tantan user he thought was a woman named Stephanie.
While he was waiting, however, he was approached by a pair of suspects who assaulted him before he was able to escape.
At around 3 a.m. the following day, a 23-year-old Vancouver Tantan user was also expecting to meet a woman named Stephanie at a residence in central Richmond, but was instead approached by three suspects, one of whom had a knife, police said.
According to the statement, the victim was abducted, taken in his own vehicle to a bank in the 3700 block of No. 3 Road and forced to withdraw money from an ATM.
Investigators say he was then robbed of his clothes and belongings before being let go.
“Police are warning the public to exercise caution whenever Tantan or other similar dating apps are used. Unless trust is guaranteed, it is inherently dangerous to meet strangers in non-public areas,” Cpl. Dennis Hwang said in a statement. “These two incidents in such close proximity are highly concerning to police."
Anyone with information about either case is asked to contact Const. L. Reid of the Richmond RCMP's General Investigation Service at 604-278-1212 or email Richmond_Tips@rcmp-grc.gc.ca.
