Five other people have been charged on suspicion of running an online dating scam targeting seniors and defrauding dozens of them out of more than $2 million.
“Criminals use dating apps to trick their victims into meeting in public places such as hotels, restaurants, and bars, and then attack and rob them,” the firm continued, adding, “Many U. S. citizens in Colombia have been drugged, robbed, and even killed through their Colombian dates.
Over the past year, the embassy said it has noticed an increase in reports of incidents related to the use of online dating apps to lure victims, foreigners, for forced robberies or the use of sedatives to drug and rob people.
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In addition, they reported receiving reports of incidents of this type occurring in primary cities, including Medellín, Cartagena and Bogotá.
The embassy said that U.S. citizens should be vigilant, maintain heightened situational awareness, and incorporate strong personal security practices into their activities. You can read the alert’s actions to take here.
This story reported from Los Angeles.