US State Department Issues Warning to Travelers Using Dating Apps
Contributed by: kellyseal on Wednesday, January 24 2024 @ 10:33 am
Last modified on Wednesday, January 24 2024 @ 10:50 am
The U.S. State Department has issued a warning to international travelers to avoid using dating apps when traveling to Colombia. The warning comes after a series of eight deaths in the country were linked to dating apps.
According to CBS News, the deaths took place in Medellin, Colombia’s second-largest city, and resulted from a forced overdose and suspected homicides. Other incidents have taken place in Bogota and Cartagena, according to reports. Though the deaths themselves do not seem to be linked, they all involved the use of dating apps luring travelers to meet.
“Numerous US citizens in Colombia have been drugged, robbed, and even killed by their Colombian dates,” the embassy said in its notice. The embassy also noted that many crimes like this go unreported, as victims are too embarrassed to contact authorities.
Last year, Minnesota comedian and actor Tou Ger Xiong was kidnapped and held for a $2,000 ransom following meeting a woman online. He was later found dead, according to CBS News[*1] .
"Criminals use dating apps to lure victims to meet in public places such as hotels, restaurants, and bars, and then later assault and rob them," the advisory states. "Numerous U.S. citizens in Colombia have been drugged, robbed, and even killed by their Colombian dates."
The State Department had issued a “reconsider travel” notice in January to people wanting to visit the country due to “crime, terrorism, civil unrest and kidnapping risks,” according to CBS News. Since December 2023, multiple “suspicious” deaths of U.S. citizens were reported. Some regions, including Colombia’s borders, were given a “do not travel” label.
In the last four months of 2023, there was a 200 percent increase in thefts and a 29 percent increase in violent deaths of foreigners, most of them U.S. citizens, according to CBS News.
The Guardian[*2] notes that Colombian gangs have used the drug scopolamine, derived from a plant called burundanga that is found throughout the Andes. It is an odorless drug that is easy to slip in drinks, and once given, can leave victims unconscious for 24 hours with no memory of the drugging. While the victim is incapacitated, the perpetrator can take them to their apartment to rob their possessions or an ATM and withdraw money from the victim’s account.
The embassy said that the gangs are using beautiful women as lures on dating apps to target victims, particularly visiting from the U.S., according to The Guardian.
“US citizens should be vigilant, maintain heightened situational awareness, and incorporate strong personal security practices into their activities,” the embassy said.