Key Takeaways

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico has issued an official warning to tourists about the dangers of dating app use in the wake of several tourist kidnappings. 

The consulate has confirmed reports of tourist kidnappings in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, and Nuevo Nayarit, Nayarit, where tourists were lured to dangerous locations by people they met on dating apps.

In one case, the kidnapping victim was beaten. Some of the victims’ families were extorted by the kidnappers, who demanded “large sums of money” in exchange for the safe return of their loved ones.

Now, any tourists hoping to find love in Mexico will have to contend with the U.S. State Department’s travel advisory, which is in effect in cities with particularly high crime rates, including Nayarit (“Level 2: Exercise Extreme Caution”) and Jalisco (“Level 3: Reconsider Travel”). 

With summer upon us, tourists are preparing to descend upon Mexican vacation destinations Nayarit and Puerto Vallarta for fun in the sun, making the embassy’s warnings all the more relevant. 

There’s an entire demographic of daters — tourists — who want to meet new people via the apps, but don’t know the safety risks. Dating apps have the opportunity to make users feel safe and cared for by providing safety information for people who want to use dating apps while traveling. 

Dating App Users Are Targets For Scammers — Or Worse 

A 2024 Norton survey found that 54% of respondents said they have used a dating app or platform while traveling. Similarly, a 2023 Bumble study found that more than 50% of its surveyed users hope to make romantic connections while traveling. Single solo travelers — 30%, to be exact — said they are particularly interested in fast and fun romances in far-flung places. 

The only thing more important to daters than making authentic connections is their own safety: A 2024 DatingNews study found that 91% of female respondents worry for their safety when they go on dates, whether they’re meeting with someone they met online or in person. 

Clearly, online daters want to know they can trust the apps everywhere they go, not just when they’re home. But the reality is that tourists are prime targets for scammers, thieves, and people with even more deplorable intentions. 

In fact, the U.S. Embassies in the Dominican Republic and Colombia also issued recent warnings after several romance scams and tourist deaths were linked to dating app use. 

The travel tools on today’s dating apps — we’re looking at you, Tinder Passport Mode, Bumble’s Premium Travel Mode, and Grindr’s Roam, for example — may be innovative, but by publicizing the user’s location, they also put the user in a vulnerable position. 

This is why some dating apps already provide safety resources for tourists using the app in unfamiliar areas. 

The LGBTQ+ Community Is Particularly Vulnerable

Grindr in particular takes extra care when its users live in or travel to countries that persecute the LGBTQ+ community. It encourages Grindr users to do their due diligence before traveling to potentially inhospitable places. “If you travel to a new place, research the local laws,” the app advises. 

Every app with LGBTQ+ users can promote safe and healthy connections by providing helpful tips and resources. After all, online daters in the LGBTQ+ community must take extra precautions, as violence isn’t the only potential danger lurking in countries where being gay or trans is illegal. 

“Unfortunately, in some countries where being LGBTQ+ is criminalized, law enforcement has been known to use social media apps as tools for potential entrapment,” Grindr points out.  “Some countries have laws that even criminalize communications between people on LGBTQ+ networks.”

Of course, everyone is at risk of being scammed, kidnapped, or worse when they’re a tourist in an unfamiliar, often dangerous area. By providing educational materials and safety tools, apps can empower users to be proactive about their own safety. 

The user can travel with confidence, knowing their dating apps not only offer helpful, expert-backed advice but also genuinely care about their well-being.