MEDDELLIN, Colombia – The State Department has issued a warning to American travelers advising them not to use dating apps while traveling to Colombia after multiple “suspicious deaths” of U.S. citizens in the South American country.
Colombia has been labeled a country that Americans should “reconsider travel” to because of crime, terrorism, civil unrest, and kidnapping risks according to the State Department. The advisory about using dating apps in Colombia was shared on Wednesday, linking the deaths of private U.S. citizens in Medellin to the use of online dating applications.
The embassy saw an increase in reports of incidents involving dating apps as a lure over the last year, the State Department advisory said. Criminals use dating apps to lure victims to meet in public places and then later assault and rob them. Numerous U.S. citizens in Colombia have been drugged, robbed, and even killed by their Colombian dates.
If using dating apps in Colombia, people should only meet in public places, avoid isolated locations, and share details of their plans with a friend or family member, the advisory said.
The advisory said that the United States embassy in Colombia had seen increased reports of people being lured by dating apps amid a rise in crimes committed against foreign visitors. In the last trimester of 2023, there was a 200% increase in thefts against foreign visitors, and a 29% increase in violent deaths. Most of those violent death victims were U.S. citizens.