Extortion Scams in Medellín: How Foreigners Are Being Targeted and What You Can Do About It

• 💔 Tinder dates gone wrong — Foreigners are being extorted by women they meet online, often within 24 hours

• 🚩 Spot the red flags — Vague profiles, “broken cameras,” and sudden nudes are classic setup signs

• 🪪 Always confirm ID — Ask for a cedula, verify names, and don’t skip the awkward questions

• 🏠 Never invite them over first — First meet-ups should always happen in public, with security nearby

• 📲 What to do if it happens — Don’t panic, document everything, and talk to someone you trust before paying

Since January 2025, extortion cases against foreigners in Medellín have jumped. Not scams. Not pickpocketing. Full-blown extortion and in most cases, it starts with a Tinder match. It’s easy to blame the city or local culture. But in reality, many of these situations are avoidable. That doesn’t mean victims are to blame. It just means you can learn from what’s happening and move differently This guide lays it out: what’s happening, how these schemes work, and what you can do to stay out of trouble.

What’s Going On?

A growing number of foreign men—mostly Americans—have reported threats, blackmail, and visits from “family members” of women they met online.

In almost every case, the pattern looks the same:

• They meet a woman on Tinder, Instagram, or a sugar baby site.

• They start chatting. The woman seems eager to meet, sometimes even sending photos or voice notes to build trust.

• They agree to meet up, often the same day.

• After the meeting, the man gets a call or message from someone claiming to be her father, brother, cousin, or “uncle from the police.”

• He’s accused of seeing an underage girl, or of being a predator.

• The threat? Jail, violence, or both, unless he pays up.
  

This isn’t new, but it’s growing. And fast.

In the first four months of 2025, more than 40 foreign residents have reported similar cases. That’s just the people who came forward. The real number is definitely WAY higher.

Why It Works

I'm realistic that number of men coming here to look for sex is a high percentage of the tourism here, and I'm not the morality police. If you want to come for that, you do you. But also be safe and smart. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if you're coming here for sex, be honest with yourself and stop letting your ego put you in stupid positions. Am I saying people deserve to get robbed here? No. But you are VISITOR here, and you have to adjust to their reality, not the other way around. Get completely over yourself. Go to a professional, because I'll tell you this, extortion doesn't happen at La Isla or Fase 2. When your ego, or thirst for sex with a young beautiful woman takes over, you put yourself in a position to fall for this - it's effective because:

• Shame. Many men don’t want anyone to know what happened. So they pay.

• Fear. They don’t know the law. They assume they’ll be deported, or worse.

• Language barrier. If someone starts yelling in fast Spanish about the Fiscalía or Policía Nacional, it’s hard to know what’s real and what’s theater.
  

The extortionists are counting on you to panic. They use all of the above to hit you. You're an easy target to them if you let yourself be.

Red Flags to Watch For

Not every woman on Tinder is a scammer. But if you see any of these signs, pay attention:

• She’s too eager to meet. Especially if she’s pushing for your apartment.

• Her profile is vague. No last name, no job, no friends tagged.

• She avoids video calls. Or says her phone camera is broken.

• She talks about money early. Or asks if you’re “generous.”

• She sends nudes out of nowhere. It’s bait.

• She says she’s 18, but you didn’t ask. Or she avoids showing ID.
  

If she mentions that her tío is a cop or that she “has to be careful” because of her age, that’s your cue to walk away.

How to Protect Yourself

Here’s what you can do right now to avoid becoming the next story.

1. Stop using dating apps in Medellín

It sounds harsh, and if you're going to tell me about all of the successful relationships, just save your words. If you’re here long-term, apps like Tinder are becoming riskier by the month, and now Bumble is just as bad. You’re not meeting someone looking for love. You’re meeting someone with a plan. If you insist on meeting people online, don’t do it through apps. Use mutual friends. Social groups. Events where there’s a shared context. Or... Learn some Spanish and go talk to people?

2. Always confirm age and identity

Ask for a cedula (Colombian ID). If the girl doesn't/can't provide it, walk away immediately. Take a photo of the ID, or ask to see it on camera. Make sure it’s not a fake. Run the name through Verificaa.com AND social media. Yes, it’s awkward. But not as awkward as having to explain yourself to police. Doing due diligence is not bad, and if she has nothing to hide, then she will not have an issue sharing her ID.

3. Never invite someone over on the first meeting

Meet in public, in daylight, and somewhere you know. Avoid bringing someone you just met to your apartment or Airbnb. If you think you know better and do it anyhow, let your portería know. Most buildings have cameras. You want the visit on record in case anything goes wrong.

4. Be boring

This isn't Miami, don't flash cash, watches, or flashy electronics. Also, don't flex in your profile pics here. If you're advertising yourself as rich, you're raising the price of the extortion if it happens. Flexing doesn't have the same effect here as it does back home.

If You’re Being Threatened

Don’t freeze. There’s a path forward.

1. Don’t pay right away. Many scammers give up if they sense you won’t cave easily.

2. Screenshot everything. Chat history, photos, voice notes. Save it all.

3. Report it to local police. Bring a translator or trusted friend. If you're living here, you’re better off building a report now than letting the cycle continue. I'll be honest, temper your expectations of what the police will do, because it's literally next to nothing.

4. Call your embassy. They can’t fix everything, but they can help guide you through the process and, in some cases, contact local authorities on your behalf. Again, they have ZERO law enforcement authority here, so temper your expectations. The National Guard isn't coming to save you, despite your fantasy of that.

5. Warn others. If it happened to you, it’ll happen to someone else. Share your story anonymously with local expat groups or trusted local blogs. You’ll help others avoid the same setup.

Story Time #1 - Lee Plays It Smart, Keeps His Freedom

Last month, Lee, a expat consultant, got caught in an extortion setup. After dining with a girl he’d been chatting with, he verified her ID in person, confirming her photo and age of 20 through the national police database. Confident in her identity, he invited her over.

Once she arrived, she flipped the script, producing a second ID claiming to be a minor and demanding 250,000 pesos or she’d call the police. Lee refused, knowing he had her verified ID and chat records. She called the cops anyway. It was a clear setup. The police arrested him on a bogus charge.

Lee lost a whole day in a holding cell waiting to see the judge. When he finally appeared, the case was tossed in under 30 minutes. The Fiscalía and judge determined it was an illegal arrest, suggesting police involvement in the extortion scam. This scheme targets foreigners, coercing them to pay or face arrest, with the police splitting the money with the scammers.

Lee is a model for what to do if you’re innocent: don’t pay into extortion, document everything, and lawyer up if it comes to it. The darker truth is that some tourists are looking for trouble here, and when a foreigner gets caught, even on flimsy claims, it makes headlines. If there had been even a shred of real evidence, Lee would still be in jail. But there wasn’t, and he could prove it. It’s not what you know, it’s what you can prove.

Story Time 2 - Older US Citizen in Laureles Arrested After Extortion

I have to be honest here. I know little about this one past what is in the media. A United States citizen who was on a dating site looking for girls had a long conversation with the man, he never asked her for her age, but he was leaning on the fact that on her dating profile it said 18. That means nothing to the police. Nothing. He never asked for her ID, or her age and when a clearly underage girl who was not the one in the pictures arrived, he was willing to move forward with the paid sexual encounter. She flipped the script and demanded he pay her an undisclosed amount (I say that because there are conflicting reports of how much was asked for), he did and she still called the police anyhow.

The other part is that he indirected inferred that he was going to give her money to come over. Which the police are using to charge him with the maximum crime possible, offering money in exchange for sex with a minor. That is a serious crime here, and if this man sees freedom again it will be a miracle. I'm going to offer up a hot take here, he doesn't need to be free.

This guy was looking for problems, and it found him. He is forever labeled a weirdo and a sex offender. Covering yourself here is IMPERATIVE. Passport Bros, and Medellin Rookies, put your ego down for a minute - I don't care if you're from the streets, I don't care if you think you move differently, you're the prey here.

The major difference is that Lee punted when things got weird. He never agreed to pay, and he had EVERYTHING in order. He also had to hire a lawyer to advocate for him, at a huge expense. Some would say that he should have just paid her, story time 2 tells you why that is a bad idea. It's best to go into every interaction here, especially in a dating context with an elevated level of concern, and like I say all the time - If something seems too good to be true, run.

Think You’re Too Smart to Fall for It?

So did most of the victims. Some of them speak Spanish. Some of them have been living in Medellín for years. One had even gone on multiple dates with the girl before an “uncle” showed up at his door. It’s not about intelligence. It’s about familiarity with how things work here, and how quickly things can go south when you trust the wrong person. This isn't a Medellin thing, this is a world wide thing, and it's just evolving here now.

What the City Is (and Isn’t) Doing

The Medellín police have responded to some reports. But in most cases, they treat these situations as “private disputes.” Unless you’re in physical danger, they’re unlikely to chase down the scammer. Until there’s more pressure from embassies or organized advocacy groups, foreigners are mostly on their own. Which means your best defense is prevention.

Final Word

If you’re a man living in Medellín, or even just visiting, be careful who you meet and how you meet them. I hate to tell you this, even though you think you're special, and you're the gift to Colombian women, even though you won't admit it publicly, You're not.

Skip the apps. Ask for ID. It's better not to let strangers into your apartment even if you've been talking for a while they are still a stranger, and if something feels off trust that feeling. No Tinder hookup is worth getting blackmailed over, and no date is worth jail time or getting a record that follows you home. I hate to break it to you, the DOJ in the US WILL prosecute you if the Fiscalia has a strong case against you. What happens in Medellin doesn't always stay here.