Dozens of male victims detained and robbed while using dating apps
U.S. Embassy in Colombia “Beware of meeting opposite sex through dating apps”
Theft targeting foreigners in the third quarter of 2023 tripled compared to the same period last year.
In the past two months, eight American men have been murdered in a similar manner in Medellin, Colombia’s second-largest city.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 20th (local time), the U.S. Embassy in Colombia issued a travel warning to be careful about meeting the opposite sex using dating apps such as Tinder or Bumble. Medellin authorities reported that there were dozens of victims of the so-called ‘romance scam’, in which men were robbed while trying to meet women through dating apps in November and December of last year.
The methods of crime were revealed to be diverse. According to Medellin police reports, several victims died after being attacked by a gunman on the street while heading to a date, while others appear to have died after taking incapacitating drugs.
WSJ explained that these incidents were crimes disguised as prostitution. “Prostitution is legal in Colombia, so criminal organizations use dating apps to target single foreign men,” he added.
WSJ also highlighted the death of Tou Ger Siong, a comedian from Minnesota, USA. On December 10 last year, hours after he went out to meet a woman he had connected with on her dating app, Xiong asked her family and her acquaintances to wire him a ransom of $2,000 (about 2.67 million won).
Siong was found dead the next day at the foot of a cliff in a forest near Medellin. Accordingly, three suspects, including two minors, who were identified as suspects in the incident on the 18th, were arrested.
According to the prosecution, Xiong transferred a total of $3,140 (about 4.19 million won) through PayPal, but was eventually murdered.
In fact, cases of crimes targeting foreigners are increasing in Medellin. Medellin tourism authorities said, “In the third quarter of 2023, the number of theft cases targeting foreigners increased more than three times compared to the same period last year.”
Accordingly, the Colombian Ministry of Justice announced that about 50 members of an organization that targeted foreigners were arrested in Medellin in 2023.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.