American tourists being 'kidnapped' through dating apps in Mexico, US Embassy warns
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico warned American tourists on Monday that U.S. citizens in certain regions of Mexico have been kidnapped by people they met on dating apps.
The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a security alert on Monday, warning that the U.S. Consulate General Guadalajara had confirmed 'several reports of U.S. citizens being kidnapped by individuals the victims met on dating apps in recent months.' The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico noted that the security alert was for the Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Nayarit regions of the country.
'Victims and their family members in the United States have at times been extorted for large sums of money to secure their release,' officials stated in the security alert. 'Please be aware that this type of violence is not limited to one geographic area. Travelers should use caution when meeting strangers; meet only in public places and avoid isolated locations, such as residences or hotel rooms, where crimes are most likely to occur.'
READ MORE: Cruise ship crime rate rises to 2-year high
As part of Monday's security alert, the U.S. Consulate General issued a reminder that the U.S. State Department's travel advisory for Jalisco is listed as a 'Level 3: Reconsider Travel' advisory as a result of kidnapping and crime, while Nayarit is listed as a 'Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution' advisory as a result of crime.
Addressing the danger currently presented by tourists using dating apps in Mexico, Bobby McDonald, a former supervisory Secret Service agent, told Fox News, 'You've got to be careful, buyer beware. You've got to assume that something bad could happen to you in this process.'
'If you choose to use it, be on extra-high alert. Be extra careful of where you're meeting this person or persons. Make sure that it's in a public area,' McDonald added. 'Make sure it's an area where you're going to have cell phone service. Make sure that you're just watching out for yourself, situational awareness. Be careful and let people know where you are.'
McDonald told Fox News that apps are 'the next level of places' that criminals will be able to 'act on their nefarious activities,' and warned American tourists that they need to 'watch out.'
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