Australian police issued a fresh warning about online dating services. The initiative came after a New Zealand woman had fallen prey to an Internet dating scam and was allegedly gang-raped in Sydney.

The 28-year-old Kiwi woman reportedly met a man through the mobile dating app called Tinder. She agreed to meet the man during her business trip. The woman met the man on Saturday at a Kings Cross restaurant. Thereafter, they proceeded to an inner-city bar. Yahoo News reports that a group of friends of the man joined the pair at the bar. The woman reportedly started feeling numb and dizzy at the bar as she lost control over herself. According to police, she later discovered herself in a house in southern Sydney. She alleged that she had been sexually abused by a group of men. The woman gave a statement to police after having been treated at a Sydney hospital.

According to Detective Inspector Michael Haddow, the identity of a person engaged in online dating may turn out to be inaccurate. He said that there was a group of people who would use internet dating services for malicious purposes. "The vast majority of people who use dating websites and apps do so for the right reasons," Haddow said, "but there are a number of sexual predators out there who use modern technology to find potential victims."

Haddow also said that it would be wise to bring a companion while meeting someone for the first time through online dating services. The companion can watch how much a person drinks during the date. Having a companion is also beneficial as there will be additional help if required in case of any uncomfortable or hostile situation. The New Zealand woman apparently went for the initial date with a man who had a Maori/Pacific Islander appearance.

Auckland Police are investigating a couple of other rape allegations against men who also used Tinder for finding their date, Radio New Zealand reports. According to a rape prevention advocate, some sexual predators use social networking websites to find more number of women whom they may prey upon.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au