Dating apps are working with police after a surge in the number of ‘Passport Brothers’ in Colombia who have been drugged, killed or robbed after meeting local women

Following a warning issued by the U.S. Embassy in Colombia about a rise in drug use amongst men searching for a good time on dating apps, several apps have pledged to work with law enforcement to assist prevent romance scams against travelers.

Tinder was one of the first to step in and comply with cooperate with the embassy.

The Colombian city of Medellín has turn into a prime goal in cases where travelers in search of romance are drugged, then robbed and sometimes killed after making contact on dating apps like Tinder and Grindr.

Men, also known as “passport brothers”, are tempted to the metropolis by guarantees of meeting beautiful local women. But after they least expect it, they are administered a dangerous cocktail of sedatives, including the potentially deadly scopolamine, which may render the victim unconscious.

Although the drug often causes loss of consciousness, in some cases it will possibly be fatal.

On February 29, Match Group, the parent company of Tinder and Hinge, sent representatives to Colombia to satisfy with authorities to find out a path to maintain its subscribers protected.

To discover those using the app for illegal purposes, U.S. Embassy officials, the FBI, Medellín hotel officials and local authorities gathered for a meeting. Their goal was to brainstorm ways to trace criminal activity on the app.

Tinder has pledged to supply Colombian police with training on its crime reporting platform. It may even allow law enforcement to request information in the app that would help investigate attacks.

Following the meeting, U.S. officials in Medellín held a town hall meeting for American residents to find out next steps, pledging to make a “concerted effort” to reply to attacks on Americans and to work with local influencers to create content for them to maintain them protected during their stay in the country.

Apps have already began making changes, and so has the rest of the world reported.

In January, Tinder users who set their location to Colombia began receiving warnings on the app about “elevated threats” they may be exposed to. They also received suggestions on learn how to prioritize their safety.

According to Kayla Whaling, spokeswoman for Match Group, Tinder uses each automatic moderation and humans to detect potential red flags that will arise for Americans.

Another feature is that users also can get “verified” by taking a selfie that matches the photos on their profile.

In February, gay dating app Grindr introduced in-app warnings in response to “increasing violence,” a spokesman for the platform said.