Finding love online can feel like a roller‑coaster, but for some it turns into a nightmarish ride. In this top 10 horror roundup we dive into the most unsettling dating‑app experiences ever reported.
Why the Top 10 Horror Stories Matter
These chilling accounts remind us that behind every swipe lies a real person – and sometimes a very real danger. From elaborate revenge schemes to outright murder, each tale showcases a different shade of terror that can lurk behind a profile picture.
10 Date Sends 1,100 Strangers To Him For Sex Or Drugs
Revenge can take bizarre turns, and Matthew Herrick learned that the hard way. After a breakup on Grindr, his ex‑partner fabricated more than a thousand fake accounts using Herrick’s own photos and personal details, spreading rumors that he was HIV‑positive and into extreme role‑play. Over a five‑month period, an astonishing 1,100 men showed up at Herrick’s Manhattan apartment and even his workplace, each expecting sex or drugs based on the fabricated profiles.
Herrick eventually sued Grindr in April 2017, arguing that the platform failed to protect users from such malicious abuse despite receiving over a hundred flag reports on the bogus accounts. His legal battle raised tough questions about the responsibility of dating apps when users weaponize them for personal vendettas.
9 Her Date Loved Himself A Bit Too Much
A Reddit user recounted an unsettling evening with a man she met on OkCupid. The date started off innocently enough, but during the movie trailers the man abruptly unzipped his pants and began masturbating right beside her. She writes, “He just unzipped his pants and started going at it, and I sat next to him horrified!”
The man tried to justify his behavior, claiming that “every normal person jerks off in movie theaters.” When he later attempted to force himself on her, she swiftly moved to the opposite side of the theater to watch the film in peace, grateful that at least the movie itself was still enjoyable.
8 Toilet‑Loving Tinder Match Threatened Revenge Porn
Trent John Samuels, 27, thought he’d found a promising connection on Tinder, only to have it spiral into a nightmare. After weeks of chatting, the woman he was speaking to deleted him from Snapchat in December 2019. In a misguided attempt to impress, Samuels sent her a photo of himself on the toilet, captioned “Poo time.” She had previously shared intimate videos of herself, which Samuels later screenshot and used to threaten her on Instagram, warning her to watch his story.
The woman reported the threat to police, fearing the content had been made public. In court, Samuels pleaded guilty to revenge‑porn charges. Though such offenses can carry up to three years behind bars in Queensland, Australia, he received $2,500 in fines and was ordered to pay $1,000 in compensation to his victim.
7 Men Posing As Women To Rob Their “Dates”
According to eHarmony, 20% of women have used older photos to appear younger, and over 40% of men lie about their occupations on profiles. In 2020, Maryland dating‑app users encountered a more sinister twist: men creating fake female personas solely to ambush and rob unsuspecting dates. Police reported that these impostors would assault victims before stealing wallets, car keys, and phones.
Similar schemes rippled across the United States. In Detroit, investigators chased a serial robber masquerading as a woman, coercing victims to withdraw cash from ATMs. Chicago saw a quartet—three men and one woman—employ the same deception. The pattern prompted authorities to urge users to verify identities before meeting in person.
6 He Was Robbed At Gun Point By His Date And Two Men
Even thorough background checks can’t shield you from every danger. A California man met Shalena Lopez on the Meet Me app and arranged a first date at the Eagle Mountain Casino in Porterville. While there, they encountered Lopez’s relative, Mario Garcia, and her friend Cesar Cameron Domingo Jr. The trio joined the evening, turning a casual night out into a high‑stakes crime scene.
After the casino, the man drove the group home. In the car, Garcia brandished a revolver, firing twice and forcing the driver at gunpoint to pull over and withdraw cash from an ATM. The victim reported the robbery to Tulare County Police, who later recovered $400 of the stolen property.
5 She Went On A Date With A Serial Rapist
Sexual assault remains a grim reality for many online daters. Kelly Neagle met Zach Anderson on OkCupid, describing him as a handsome, hobby‑sharing gentleman. After a week of messages, they met at a local grill and pub. The evening turned terrifying when, once inside Anderson’s car, he aggressively grabbed Neagle’s thigh, forced her pants down, and manipulated the passenger‑side seat lever to restrain her before assaulting her.
Neagle reported the incident to OkCupid, only to learn the platform could not locate Anderson’s profile. Further investigation revealed Anderson operated multiple OkCupid accounts under the real name Devin Richard Hartman, a married father of three and a serial rapist. Hartman later drugged and raped another woman, Jillian, in mid‑2014, leaving her disoriented and injured. In late 2015, a court convicted Hartman of rape and aggravated sodomy, handing down two consecutive life sentences.
4 She Was Murdered During The Second Date
In November 2017, Tinder paired 24‑year‑old Sydney Loofe from Lincoln, Nebraska, with Bailey Boswell. After a promising first date, they arranged a second meeting the following day. Loofe’s last known post was a Snapchat photo captioned “ready for my date” on November 15th. She never reported to work on the 16th, prompting a missing‑person report.
Investigators discovered Boswell had enlisted her 51‑year‑old boyfriend, Aubrey Trail, for the second date. Despite her friend sending Boswell’s Tinder profile to police, the duo fled. Bizarrely, they posted videos on social media two weeks later, claiming innocence and accusing law enforcement of persecution.
On December 4th, police recovered Loofe’s dismembered remains in garbage bags scattered across a field. By June 2018, Boswell and Trail faced first‑degree murder and improper disposal of human remains charges. Evidence showed they had purchased tools from Home Depot to dismember Loofe before the second date, underscoring the chilling reality that a great first encounter can mask lethal intent.
3 His Date Was Paid To Set Up A Robbery Leading To His Death
Adam Hilarie, a 27‑year‑old Florida father, met 18‑year‑old Hailey Bustos on PlentyOfFish and enjoyed a promising first date in August 2016. Bustos requested a second meeting, but arrived at Hilarie’s house with three accomplices. The trio proceeded to steal his televisions, Xbox, alcohol, jewelry, and iPhone before shooting Hilarie in the head.
During the attack, Hilarie pleaded for his life, mentioning his five‑year‑old daughter. Police later arrested Andre Warner, Gary Gray, and Joshua Ellington on charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery with a firearm, and first‑degree murder. In 2020, a jury convicted Warner of execution‑style murder. Investigations revealed Bustos had been paid $50 to set up the robbery, claiming she was unaware of the planned killing.
2 She Was Attacked And Hospitalized After Breaking It Off
Widowed Mary Kay Beckman turned to Match.com in September 2010, where she matched with Wade Ridley. After ten days of dating, Beckman ended the relationship. Ridley, enraged, compiled a “kill list” and three months later confronted Beckman, stabbing her ten times with a butcher’s knife until it snapped, then stomping her on the head before fleeing.
A neighbor’s quick call to police saved Beckman’s life; she endured months of hospital stays and multiple head surgeries. Ridley later met Anne Simenson on Match.com and murdered her with a machete. Las Vegas police arrested Ridley for Simenson’s murder; during interrogation, he confessed to the kill list. He faced attempted murder and robbery charges, receiving a 28‑to‑70‑year sentence before committing suicide in May 2012.
1 He Went On A Date With A Murderous Cannibal
A London Metropolitan Police officer, Gordon Semple, connected with 51‑year‑old Stefano Brizzi on Grindr. The meeting turned fatal when Brizzi strangled Semple to death in his apartment. Inspired by the TV series Breaking Bad, Brizzi attempted to dissolve the body in an acid‑filled bathtub, later trying to consume parts of the flesh. Police later discovered Semple’s remains scattered across an oven, a tea strainer, and chopsticks, with Brizzi’s bite mark evident on a rib.
In 2016, Brizzi received a life sentence, but two months into his incarceration, he hanged himself, ending a gruesome chapter of dating‑app horror.