Planning a trip to Medellin, Colombia? Don't use dating apps there, US officials warn

Visiting Colombia and thinking of opening a dating app? Think again, the U.S. Department of State warns.

In a notice posted Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy in Bogota says it is aware of eight "suspicious deaths" of U.S. citizens in Medellin between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023. The deaths appear to involve either involuntary drugging overdoses or are suspected homicide, and the deaths are not believed to be linked to each other, although several involve the use of online dating apps.

According to the embassy, criminals use dating apps to lure victims to meet in public places, including hotels, restaurants and bars, and later assault and rob them. A number of U.S. citizens in Colombia have been drugged, robbed or killed by their dates, the embassy said, with reports of these incidents in major cities including Medellin, Cartagena and Bogota.

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Suspicious deaths in Medellin, Colombia

These crimes often go underreported however, as victims may be embarrassed or don't want to go through the judicial process.

Most of the 2023 violent death victims in Medellin were U.S. citizens, according to the Tourism Observatory of the District Personnel of Medellin.

The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 3 travel advisory to Colombia, urging travelers to reconsider travel due to crime and terrorism, and to exercise increased caution due to civil unrest in the country and kidnapping.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dating apps in Colombia linked to 'suspicious deaths': US officials