U.S. citizens who visit Mexico are being warned that they may be at risk of being kidnapped by people who lure them in through dating apps, according to federal officials.
The U.S. Consulate General Guadalajara warned that the victims of such schemes were kidnapped in Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Nayarit areas in recent months, according to a news release. The consulate did not say how often this type of crime has occurred or whether any suspects have been arrested.
Victims and their family members were extorted for large amounts of money in order to be released, officials said. Some of the victims met their captors in residences or hotel rooms.
Officials didn’t specify the dating apps that were used but urged people to be careful while using dating apps in Mexico. Authorities also suggested that app users only meet in public places, avoid isolated locations, and tell a loved one where they plan on going, details of the person they’re meeting and the app being used. They also advised people to trust their instincts and to call 911 in case of emergency.
The Mexican state of Jalisco, which includes the city of Puerto Vallarta, has been classified as “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” due to kidnappings and crime. The state of Nayarit, which includes the city of Nuevo Nayarit, has been classified as “Level 2: Exercise Caution” because of crime.
Dating apps have also been used in the U.S. to target victims.
In Los Angeles this spring, four people violently robbed and shot at a victim whom they met on a dating site, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
On April 28, a male victim met with a woman he connected with on a dating site near South Occidental Boulevard and Beverly Boulevard, according to the LAPD. Two more people arrived in a vehicle and one man pointed a gun at the victim and demanded his property. The assailants then went through his car and forced the victim to hand over his phone and provide the lock code.
