State Department apologizes after sparking uproar with tweet about being a '10'

Department apologized Wednesday after sparking controversy while one of its official accounts tweeted travel tips under the hashtag #springbreakingbadly, warning travelers to beware of overseas scams.

Things went awry Wednesday when the department made a recommendation to avoid being "lured into buying expensive drinks."

From its travel account, the State Department tweeted: "Not a '10' in the US? Then not a 10 overseas. Beware of being lured into buying expensive drinks or worse—being robbed. #springbreakingbadly."

The tweet inspired an immediate backlash, with one Twitter user saying it was "unnecessarily sexist." The State Department responded: "We made no mention of gender. This can happen to anyone unfortunately."

But after the tweet gained more attention, the account tweeted a two-part apology.

"Some have been offended by our earlier tweet and we apologize that it came off negatively," the department said. "We see many Americans fall victim to scams each year & want all to be careful while traveling."

See reactions on Twitter:

Other tips from the State Department's #springbreakingbadly hashtag have included: "Somebody offered you a free trip abroad, but the free luggage they offered is lined with cocaine. Beware of these scams #springbreakingbadly."

But that didn't stop the snarky backlash: