How "staged dates" for LGBT people are orchestrated in Russia—and why the police often turn a blind eye to this violence

Over the past five years, Russian courts have handed down 52 convictions in cases involving “set-up dates”—a practice in which perpetrators lure LGBTQ people to meetups through dating apps, only to beat, rob, or blackmail them. Despite hundreds of victims, actual criminal cases are rarely filed, and the attackers themselves often feel they can act with impunity due to homophobic laws and the stance of law enforcement agencies.

How the circuit works

Cybercriminals use popular platforms such as Hornet (blocked in Russia and removed from the App Store) or a bot "Dyvinchik". The scenario is usually the same: the victim is invited on a date, but upon arrival, she is met by a group of people. The victims are beaten, tied up, filmed, and forced to pay money under the threat of “outing”—the disclosure of information about their sexual orientation to relatives or colleagues.

The attackers' motives vary:

• Economic benefits: Many criminals are looking for an easy way to make money, counting on the fact that gay men won't go to the police.
• Ideology: Some follow the example of the neo-Nazi Maxim Martsinkevich (Tesak) by organizing “pedophile hunts,” even if their victims are adults.
• Religious beliefs: In the North Caucasus and among migrant communities, violence is often justified as a means of “protecting values” and combating an “improper way of life.”

Why Do the Police Stand Idle (or Get Involved)?

Statistics show that after the introduction of laws banning “LGBT propaganda” and designating the “international LGBT movement” as extremist, victims began to report incidents to the police less frequently: while 20% did so in 2022, by 2024 — only 12%.

Even when complaints are filed, law enforcement officials often refuse to open cases. There have been cases where police officers themselves organized extortion schemes. For example, in 2024, a police captain in Nalchik demanded 515,000 rubles from a gay man, threatening to file charges of “extremism.” In another case, an investigator in St. Petersburg refused to open a case into the death of a 21-year-old man who fell out of a window after receiving calls demanding money, claiming that he might have been a “parkour enthusiast.”

Safety in Isolation

The queer community in Russia is becoming increasingly insular. Communication is shifting to private chat rooms, which can only be accessed by invitation. Those who continue to use public apps try to follow safety protocols: verifying the identity of the person they’re talking to and letting friends know where they’re meeting. However, as the victims themselves point out, government rhetoric gives criminals “a free pass to commit violence,” making people feel defenseless.

You can read the full version of this investigation, which includes the stories of the victims, an analysis of court precedents, and expert commentary, at on the website of the publication “Verstka”.