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Grindr Burglars Jailed for Home Invasions
23 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Burglars used Grindr to lure victims into letting them inside homes.
- Victims were tricked into handing over phone passwords for music.
- Two Afghan refugees received prison sentences for their crimes.
Two individuals, Rahmat Khan Mohammadi, 23, and Mohammed Bilal Hotak, 27, have been sentenced to prison for a series of burglaries and frauds facilitated by the dating app Grindr. The pair targeted victims in London, persuading them to allow entry into their homes under the guise of meeting up.
Once inside, they employed a tactic of asking victims to play music on YouTube, thereby gaining temporary access to their phones. They then stole the devices, committing online and contactless payment fraud, and sometimes transferring funds directly. Mohammadi committed crimes between October 24, 2024, and March 24, this year, while Hotak was involved during a similar period.
At Isleworth Crown Court, Mohammadi was sentenced to five years and Hotak to three and a half years. The judge highlighted the psychological trauma and distress experienced by victims, noting they were targeted due to perceived vulnerability and the assumption they might not report the crimes.
