Four teenagers, aged 16 to 18, were arrested on Friday in Canberra, Australia after police discovered a scheme to blackmail men on Grindr.

 

According to reports, the teens engaged with men through the app or Facebook and agreed to meet up for a sexual encounter (often at the victim's house). But before the hook-up took place, the men were informed they were talking to minors and if they didn't pay up, they would be outed to police, neighbors and work colleagues as "pedos."

 

The scheme was well planned, with the boys creating exhaustive dossiers on their victims, which included photos and screenshots of all the conversations. Possible crimes for chatting up a minor were listed as well. 

 

Police know of 10 men who were targeted for blackmail, but expect there are many more men who have yet to come forward. One of the victims of the scheme committed suicide last month.