“It is the same modus operandi,” said Williams.

It is reported that they would deceive Grindr users into visiting an address under false pretences, then beat and threaten them, holding them captive until they or a family member transferred money into specified accounts.

OUT said over the past few years, numerous members of the LGBTQIA+ community, predominantly gay, bisexual and other queer men, have reported having been entrapped by criminals through the use of dating apps like Grindr, Tinder, Ads Africa and others, per IOL.

In an effort to raise awareness about the issue, OUT launched a social media campaign urging more victims to come forward and report the incidents to the organisation and local authorities. According to OUT, since the campaign’s launch, it has received 18 reports detailing gruesome attacks.

These reports have all surfaced from areas mainly in Gauteng but that’s not to say there aren’t incidents taking place in other parts of the country. OUT strategic communications manager Luiz De Barro reckons there could be many reasons why LGBTQIA+ persons living in other parts of the country were hesitant to come forward and report their experiences.

He said: “Unfortunately it all stems down to fear. Being afraid of secondary victimization when reporting to the police, we know this still happens. Being identified and outed to the public when one isn’t ready.

“The possibility that one might be humiliated, the shame of falling victim to false interest and being attacked on top of that, unfairly so.”

In addition to the Woodstock case in court now, the police are investigating at least two other cases in Cape Town, with one being in Shortmarket Street and another in Bo-Kaap.

Mbutu and Zulu were arrested at a house in Woodstock on 14 June when a contact of the hostage alerted authorities. Meanwhile, Ngwenya broke his leg jumping over a wall and was only tracked the following day in the yard of the house behind where the two other arrests took place.

The three accused remain in Pollsmoor Prison until returning to court on July 3.