Looking for love, finding death: Americans alerted over murders in Colombia

In recent months, a bloody custom has taken hold in the city of Medellín, Colombia, where eight Americans were murdered after using dating apps. The situation caught the attention of the United States Embassy in the South American country, which issued an alert to its citizens to maintain "heightened situational awareness, and incorporate strong personal security practices into their activities."

One of the most striking cases was that of Tou Ger Xiong, a comedian from Minnesota, who had traveled to Colombia to enjoy its gastronomy, beaches and nightclubs. He decided to go on a dating app on December 10, which would ultimately end in his kidnapping.

His relatives paid about $2,000, and even so, his body was found lifeless after being thrown from a 260-foot cliff. He also had bruises and stab wounds. "It's surreal that my brother died in such a beautiful place," Eh Xiong, Tou Ger Xiong's older brother, said in a telephone interview from Minneapolis.

It turns out that this was not an isolated case, as according to Medellín authorities, it is one of dozens of cases involving male tourists who were held captive and robbed, often after meeting women on dating apps.

Concern has reached the United States Embassy in Colombia, which issued an alert to its citizens. "Criminals use dating apps to lure victims to meet in public places such as hotels, restaurants, and bars, and then later assault and rob them. Numerous U.S. citizens in Colombia have been drugged, robbed, and even killed by their Colombian dates."

"Over the last year, the Embassy has seen an increase in reports of incidents involving the use of online dating applications to lure victims, typically foreigners, for robbery by force or using sedatives to drug and rob individuals. The Embassy regularly receives reports of these types of incidents occurring in major cities, including, but not limited to, Medellin, Cartagena, and Bogota. These types of crimes routinely go underreported as victims are embarrassed and do not want to follow through with the judicial process", the statement added.

The Wall Street Journal reported that these criminals directly target foreigners to extort them, given that they go to "parties fueled by drugs and sex workers," making them more reluctant to report crimes.