A 28-year-old man was allegedly stripped naked and robbed of his belongings by a person he met on the internet and three accomplices when he was lured to a flat in Tambotie, Johannesburg on Easter Sunday.
The man was robbed of his two cellphones worth R10 000 each, cash and his bank card, said police spokesperson Captain Daniel Mavimbela.
"It is believed that after stripping the victim, the suspects took pictures of the victim using one of his cellphones and threatened to publish them via his own social media account, should he [fail] to cooperate and part with his bank card," said Mavimbela.
The man was lured into the flat following the establishment of a "friendship" online.
There is speculation that a man who was arrested by local police in Sunnyside for orchestrating online dating scams last year and is out on bail, might be linked to the crime.
The police warn people who use the internet as a tool to form companionship, to exercise caution before they agree to meet with strangers.
"They must inform someone about who they intend to meet and where. Such meetings must take place in a public place," advised Mavimbela.