In early 2025, a group of U.S. travelers landed in Puerto Vallarta for what was meant to be a fun, long weekend. But within hours, one of them was missing.
According to the U.S. Embassy, the individual had connected with someone on a dating app shortly after arriving. The meeting point was off the main tourist strip, and hours later, their family received a ransom demand from a Mexican phone number.
And it is not an isolated case; it’s part of a broader alert issued by the U.S. government warning travelers about the rising risks of using dating apps in Mexico. Several recent incidents in western Mexico have involved Americans being kidnapped after meeting strangers on dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Grindr. The warnings mark a change in how authorities are now viewing dating apps in high-risk travel areas, and it’s not just a personal safety matter; it’s also a vector for organized criminal activity.
Would you meet up with a stranger from a dating app in a foreign country? And should you? Let’s talk about it.
The Growing Popularity of Dating Apps Among Travelers
Dating apps are no longer used just when people are on their home turf. A ton of people use them to connect with others while they’re traveling, and there are dating apps dedicated to it. In this year alone, an estimated 413 million people worldwide use dating apps, according to Statista. A growing segment of that use comes from tourists who are looking for short-term romantic connections during international trips.
In Mexico’s biggest tourist corridors, which include Cancun, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, and Tijuana, dating apps are as common as rideshares. Travel blogs routinely suggest them for meeting locals, and platforms like Tinder have launched passport features that enable users to match in their future destinations before they touch down.
The change has made dating apps a powerful social tool for travelers, but also one that’s super risky. Meeting strangers in unfamiliar cities comes with valid safety concerns, particularly in countries where local crime groups operate with relative impunity. According to the U.S. State Department, parts of Mexico remain hotspots for “violent crime, including kidnapping,” and dating apps have now become one of the ways the crimes begin.
U.S. Citizens Targeted: What We Know So Far
The most detailed alert came from the U.S. Consulate General in Guadalajara in early 2025, after several American citizens were kidnapped in Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Nayarit.
On June 2, the U.S. Embassy issued this statement:
“U.S. Consulate General Guadalajara has confirmed several reports of U.S. citizens being kidnapped by individuals the victims met on dating apps in recent months in the Puerto Vallarta and Nuevo Nayarit areas,” stated the release. “Victims and their family members in the United States have at times been extorted for large sums of money to secure their release. 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.”
It went on to say, “The U.S. Consulate General reminds U.S. citizens that in the State Department’s travel advisory for Mexico, Jalisco is classified as ‘Level 3: Reconsider Travel’ due to crime and kidnapping, and Nayarit is classified as ‘Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution’ due to crime. If faced with immediate security threats, please contact local police by dialing “911” on any telephone. U.S. citizens in need of emergency consular services should contact their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.”
The incidents involved U.S. citizens who were lured through dating apps and subsequently kidnapped, and the victims were held against their will at private homes or hotels and subjected to physical harm or threats while ransoms were demanded from their families.
Though the embassy didn’t list the apps by name, multiple reports linked the cases to popular platforms like Tinder and Grindr. A common thread across the incidents? The attackers posed as romantic or sexual partners, set up an in-person meeting, and then used that encounter as a chance to abduct the victim.
The U.S. government has not released a full case count, but news agencies, including The Los Angeles Times and WRIC, have cited “at least 17” known incidents involving Americans kidnapped or assaulted after app-based meetings in Mexico between 2023 and 2025. Unofficially, diplomats say the number is almost certainly higher.
The targeted areas are not podunk towns or off the beaten path. Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations for U.S. visitors, as it draws close to 2 million international arrivals annually. Nuevo Nayarit, which was formerly known as Nuevo Vallarta, sits just north of the Jalisco-Nayarit border and is prime vacay territory with beachfront resorts and golf courses. That’s what makes these cases really alarming: they’re happening in places that are marketed as safe, accessible, and welcoming to foreign guests.
Why Officials Are Sounding the Alarm
In January 2025, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City issued a security alert specific to dating app use. The warning was anything but unambiguous:
“Criminals use dating apps to lure victims and then exploit the opportunity to conduct violent crimes, including kidnapping and extortion,” the Embassy said. “These types of crimes are not limited to one geographic area and have occurred in multiple Mexican states.”
It’s rare for the U.S. government to call out dating apps by name in its public security guidance. The change shows there’s an urgent concern among consular officials about how digital behavior intersects with physical risk in Mexico. And while kidnapping and extortion have long been threats in certain regions, the use of dating platforms to orchestrate those crimes is a new tactic.
The State Department’s broader Mexico travel advisory currently categorizes Jalisco (the state where Puerto Vallarta is located) as Level 3: “Reconsider Travel,” due to crime and kidnapping. Nayarit is listed under Level 2: “Exercise Increased Caution.” In both states, organized criminal groups operate with territorial control over certain neighborhoods, particularly those outside core tourist zones.
The groups usually rely on digital tools to identify and isolate victims. The dating app tactic allows them to screen for targets who are traveling alone, looking for casual connections, and willing to meet in private or semi-private locations. In most cases, victims are lured to short-term rentals or hotels outside of the main resort areas, where surveillance and security presence are lighter or nonexistent.
The crimes themselves aren’t random, and law enforcement sources believe the perpetrators may be connected to organized extortion networks; they are not independent actors.
How to Protect Yourself When Using Dating Apps in Mexico and Abroad
If you’re using dating apps while traveling in Mexico—or anywhere abroad—there are a few common-sense specific steps that you can take to reduce your exposure to risk!
- Meet only in public spaces. Restaurants, cafés, and busy hotel lobbies are preferable for a first meeting. Don’t go to private residences, rented condos, or unfamiliar neighborhoods.
- Verify who you’re meeting. Use platforms that have photo verification. Insist on a video chat before agreeing to meet in person. Services like Social Catfish can help verify identities and flag any suspicious behavior.
- Don’t share your hotel details or travel plans. Until you trust someone fully, don’t tell them the name of your accommodation or what your daily schedule is. Criminals usually use this info to locate or intercept their victims.
- Turn on location-sharing. Let a friend or family member know when and where you’re meeting someone. Apps like WhatsApp and iMessage enable you to share live location data in real time, so do it!
- Stick to app communication. If someone asks you to switch to an encrypted messaging service or tries to move the conversation off-platform immediately, that’s a big red flag. In-app communication allows for better traceability.
- Check your surroundings. If you’re meeting someone new and notice that they are not alone, seem to be watching others, or change locations unexpectedly, leave the area and find a safe place.
- Watch for any financial requests. Anyone asking for money, favors, or “help” after a short period of conversation is probably trying to scam you out of money, or worse.
There is no safety checklist that guarantees your safety, but if you follow the above guidelines? You are way less likely to be an easy target.
What Dating Apps Are Doing About It
There are some dating platforms that have started to acknowledge the security implications of international travel. Tinder now has a Traveler Alert system that warns LGBTQ+ users when they enter countries with restrictive laws. Bumble has invested in AI to detect potentially dangerous messages and has in-app reporting tools and location-sharing options.
But all of the tools rely on user activation. Features like photo verification, block/report buttons, and user education prompts do exist, but they aren’t always visible or intuitive. Very few platforms have proactive alerts based on known threat zones, and almost none flag locations flagged by the U.S. State Department unless the user has already opted into geo-tracking services.
That gap puts the burden of protection solely on the user. Yes, apps do provide some safety infrastructure, but travelers are still expected to take responsibility for verifying who they’re meeting and ensuring their own environment is safe and secure.
Final Thoughts: Travel, Romance, and Risk
Meeting people abroad via dating apps has been happening for years, and it’s not always dangerous, but it’s no longer something that travelers should do without a lot of forethought, especially in the areas that we talked about. The rise in targeted crimes against Americans in Mexico is scary and real.
It isn’t a theoretical concern or a one-off scam; it’s an emerging pattern that has prompted official warnings from U.S. embassies and security experts. The issue of dating app safety in Mexico in 2025 has turned into a bigger conversation around how digital habits intersect with physical risk when people are traveling in countries where criminal groups can operate with limited law enforcement interference.
If you’re planning a trip to Mexico? You don’t have to rule out dating apps entirely, but you do have to be discerning and super cautious. Treat them with the same caution you’d use for any unknown environment: confirm who you’re talking to, know your surroundings, and make sure someone else knows your plans down to the last detail. Dating while abroad can still be part of the romantic experience, but if you’re in a place like Jalisco or Nayarit, be vigilant when you’re swiping. Always be safe—no connection is worth putting yourself in harm’s way.
