8 American Men Die from Cartel Crimes Over Two Months
Crimes via Dating Apps Occur Frequently Worldwide
The U.S. Embassy in Colombia has issued a warning to tourists visiting the country to exercise caution when using dating applications. This comes after eight U.S. citizens recently died in Colombia, with a connection found between their deaths and dating apps. Previously, in November and December last year, dozens of incidents occurred in Medellin, Colombia's second-largest city, where male tourists met local women through dating apps and were subsequently kidnapped, taken hostage, or robbed.
In November 2022, in Medell?n, Colombia, American man Paul Nguyen (right), who met Evelyn Henao Herrera (left) through the dating app 'Tinder,' was found dead the day after meeting her in a trash bin in Medell?n. [Photo by GoFundMe]
On the 20th (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that since this month, the U.S. Embassy in Colombia has issued a caution to American tourists visiting Colombia about meeting local women through online dating platforms such as Bumble and Tinder.
At least eight American men have died over the past two months as victims of crimes led by local drug cartels. Among them was the well-known American comedian Tu Ger Sion, who came from a Laotian immigrant family in Minnesota. Colombian investigators revealed that on December 10 last year, Tu Ger Sion dated a local woman and, within hours, called his family and friends to claim he had been kidnapped and was being held for ransom. His relatives sent about $3,000 as ransom. However, he did not return alive. The day after the ransom was sent, local police found his body at the bottom of a cliff.
In fact, crimes against foreigners have surged recently in Colombia. The U.S. Embassy reported that as of the third quarter of last year, theft cases against foreign visitors in Colombia increased by 200% compared to the previous year, and deaths due to violence rose by 29%. In particular, Colombian drug gangs attempt robberies or kidnappings when foreigners go to meet local women. It is understood that these crimes are committed by secretly drugging victims' drinks. Currently, prostitution is legal in Colombia. It is reported that these crimes target unmarried foreign men who seek to take advantage of this.
Crimes through dating apps are not limited to Colombia. 'Romance scams,' where perpetrators approach victims through dating apps to build rapport, then induce cryptocurrency investments or send fake site links via messages to prompt access and subsequently demand related fees, occur frequently around the world. [Photo by Pixabay]
Federico Gutierrez, mayor of Medellin, commented on the U.S. Embassy's travel warning, saying, "We do not want foreigners who think they can come to Colombia for prostitution or drugs." He added, "We hope foreigners engage in more valuable tourism activities."
'Romance Scams' Using Dating Apps Occur Frequently Worldwide
Crimes involving dating apps are not limited to Colombia. 'Romance scams,' where perpetrators build relationships through dating apps and then induce victims to invest in cryptocurrencies or send fake website links via messages to collect related fees, occur frequently worldwide. Especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, as non-face-to-face dating apps became more active, related crimes have also increased.
Recently, claims have surfaced that Jeon Cheong-jo, the ex-partner of former national fencing athlete Nam Hyun-hee, engaged in fraudulent activities using a matchmaking app, raising experts' calls for increased vigilance when using dating apps. According to the National Intelligence Service, romance scam damages from 2018 to 2022 totaled nearly 9.22 billion KRW. Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, annual damages were below 1 billion KRW, but in 2021 they exceeded 3 billion KRW and approached 4 billion KRW last year.
Above all, some dating apps allow married men and women to join without any restrictions, and user information is often inaccurate. Additionally, there are cases of unwanted contact or approaches with malicious intent causing harm. There are also issues with personal information leaks, and due to the nature of the service, damages can be greater than in other services, requiring users to exercise caution.
According to a report released by the Korea Consumer Agency, a survey of 500 dating app users found that 38.4% (192 people) admitted to entering false profile information. Among respondents, 49.8% reported experiencing harm while using the apps. The most common issues were 'persistent unwanted contact' at 24.4%, followed by 'obscene conversations and sexual solicitation' at 23.8%, and 'personal information leaks' at 16.0%.
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