Greenbelt police are warning the public of masked men who pose as women on dating apps, then rob their victims in real life.

Police said Sunday that they have received "several reports" of armed robberies in the area through the scheme.

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They say the victims are usually "physically assaulted" before the robbers take their wallets, car keys and cell phones. The robbers are armed and wear masks, police said.

Police tell Fox 5 the majority of the robberies have occurred near apartments in the 6200 block of Springhill Court in Greenbelt.

Police in Greenbelt are now urging the public "to refrain" from meeting strangers through dating apps.


Anyone with information on the crimes is asked to call Greenbelt police at (301) 474-7200.

The Meet Group offered a statement in light of the investigations:

"The Meet Group has promptly cooperated with all requests from the Greenbelt City Police Department as they continue to investigate this matter. The company does not tolerate abusive, inappropriate, or illegal behavior on any of our apps. As part of The Meet Group’s safety guidelines, we strongly encourage all users to report illegal behavior to our moderators and proper law enforcement agencies. Nothing is more important to us than protecting the safety of our users." - A spokesperson from The Meet Group