AMERICANS are being warned against using dating apps while traveling, as tourists are getting kidnapped by their dates.
Potential partners are luring victims via online apps to unknown locations, then kidnapping and extorting them, authorities reported.
The U.S. Consulate General Guadalajara confirmed that several American citizens were kidnapped in Mexico over the past few months.
The kidnappings were happening in the Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Nayarit areas.
The victims and family members were extorted for large amounts of money to be released, according to officials.
The consulate didn’t list every meeting area, but some victims met their dates in residences or hotel rooms.
Travelers are advised to exercise caution when meeting strangers, especially when interacting with people online.
They are encouraged to meet in public places and avoid isolated locations where crime is more likely to occur.
Tourists are advised to inform family and friends of their travel plans and the details of the person they will be meeting up with.
The United States currently has a Level 2 travel advisory for Mexico, which encourages Americans to exercise caution when visiting.
According to the state department’s website, violent crime, such as homicide and kidnapping, is “widespread and common in Mexico.”
Along with advising against using dating apps, the government warns travelers against hailing taxis at night.
Jalisco state, where Puerto Vallarta is located, has a level 3 travel advisory.
“In Guadalajara, territorial battles between criminal groups take place in tourist areas,” the state department’s website reads.
“Shooting incidents between criminal groups have injured or killed innocent bystanders.”
In the state, US government employees are not allowed to travel between Federal Highway 110 and the Jalisco-Michoacan border.
They are also restricted from traveling on Federal Highway 110 between Tuxpan, Jalisco, and the Michoacan border.
DATING DISASTER
In the US, dating apps have also been used to target victims.
How to stay safe
According to the State Department, travelers should follows these safety precautions:
Be cautious if using online dating apps in Mexico. Meet only in public places and avoid isolated locations. Tell a friend or family member of your plans, including where you are going, details of the person you are meeting, and the app you used to meet them. Trust your instincts. If something does not feel right, do not hesitate to remove yourself from a situation. In case of emergency call 911.Just this spring, four people have been violently attacked in Los Angeles after meeting up with others they met on a dating app, the LA Times reported.
On April 28, a man met up with a woman he had met online, but was later robbed as two other people arrived at the date.
The two people held the man at gunpoint and demanded that he hand them everything he had.
The criminals then went through the victim’s car and stole his phone.
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