Several of the cases were linked to dating apps, according to a state department security alert on Wednesday. A growing number of US citizens were lured to bars, hotels and restaurants through applications like Tinder before being drugged and robbed, the embassy warned.
Many of the crimes go unreported as victims are often too embarrassed to notify the police, it added. Burundanga is found throughout the Andes and is used in up to 50, cases a year, according to some estimates. In , an American family crowdfunded the return of the body of US citizen Paul Nguyen after the year-old did not return to his Airbnb after going on a Tinder date.
Apps like Tinder and Bumble are an increasingly preferred tool for Colombian gangs to find and lure their victims , say crime experts. The US embassy said foreigners should follow a series of steps listed in its press release to avoid being targeted through dating apps.
This article is more than 1 year old. Read more. Explore more on these topics Colombia Americas news. Reuse this content. Most viewed.
