(NEXSTAR) – The U.S. Embassy in Bogota is advising Americans to put away dating apps if they plan to visit Colombia after a series of “suspicious deaths” in tourist hotspot Medellín.

According to embassy officials, there were eight such deaths involving U.S. citizens between November 1 and December 31, 2023.

“The deaths appear to be either involuntary drug overdoses or suspected homicides,” embassy officials wrote in a security alert on Wednesday. “At this time it is not believed that these deaths are related as each involved different circumstances. However, some of the deaths suggest possible drug use, robbery and overdose, and some involved the use of online dating applications.”

In Medellín there were 200 percent more robberies and 29 percent more violent deaths of foreign visitors in the last trimester of 2023 compared to the previous year, the US Embassy said, citing local tourism data.

The Foreign Ministry advises against travel

However, the danger for US travelers is not limited to Medellin.

“Numerous U.S. citizens in Colombia have been drugged, robbed and even killed by their Colombian partners,” the embassy said. “Over the last year, the Embassy has seen an increase in reports of incidents involving the use of online dating applications to lure victims, usually foreigners, into violent robberies, or the use of sedatives to drug and rob individuals.”

Embassy officials say they “regularly” receive reports of this type of incident from Americans in other parts of the country, including major cities like Cartagena and Bogotá.

On Jan. 2, the State Department issued a travel advisory classifying Colombia as a Level 3: Reconsider destination, citing crime, terrorism, unrest and kidnapping. The recommendation level is one below the most serious: “Level 4: Do not travel.”

One of the deaths currently under investigation is that of Hmong-American comedian and activist Tou Ger Xiong, 50, of St. Paul, Minnesota, who was found dead in December.

Xiong was scheduled to meet a friend in the city on Dec. 10 and was last heard from by a friend in the United States who, Colombian prosecutors told The Associated Press, said Xiong had called him to tell him he was kidnapping and needed $2,000.

Prosecutors said the suspected kidnappers failed to collect the ransom. Xiong’s body was later recovered in a forested area of ​​Medellín.

How to stay safe

Embassy officials are advising Americans to be particularly careful if they are considering using a dating app in Colombia.

If you plan to meet someone you don’t know well, you should do so in a public place and avoid residential buildings or hotel rooms.

If you want to invite someone you just met to your hotel room or place of residence, the embassy recommends working out a protocol with a doorman or concierge to ensure the visitor has identification, etc. In addition, travelers should plan steps the building employee should take when that person leaves.

When arranging a meeting, make sure friends or family members know all the details about the person and place you are going to, as well as the name of the dating app you are using. “Victims targeted through online dating applications often have their electronic devices stolen, which often contain full evidence of communications with the attackers,” the embassy warns.

Most importantly, trust your instincts when you feel like you should retreat from a situation and don’t physically resist any robbery attempt.