Most people are vaguely aware of the darker side of dating apps, but they usually don’t realize just how dangerous they can get. This is because of honey trap scams, in which a supposed casual date leads to being drugged, kidnapped, robbed, or even killed.
The Dating App Honey Trap Scam
The typical honey trap scam starts out innocently enough: an attractive woman uses a dating app to connect with her target, often a man who appears to be rich. They agree to meet up at a bar, restaurant, or the scammer’s house. However, the man has no idea that he’s being targeted by a group of people who are working together to rob him.
At some point during the meetup, the scammer will slip a drug into the victim’s food or drink. This could be a drug like Xanax or Valium, or lately a more frequently common substance initially found in the Amazon jungle called scopolamine, also known as the “Devil’s Breath”. Once the victim has been incapacitated, he’ll be taken to a private location. After that, he’ll typically be manipulated into giving up financial information or other personal details. In some cases involving scopolamine, which can cause extreme suggestibility, people have even been known to willingly help the robbers move their belongings into the perpetrator’s moving truck!
Unfortunately, the dangers of the honey trap go beyond just drugging and robbery. Theft is a common motivation for honey traps, and it’s common for wealthy men to be targeted. However, it can also work the other way around – men targeting women by drugging, kidnapping, and raping them.
While the prospect of being drugged and robbed is already bad enough, the increased usage of scopolamine in South American countries has made it even more terrifying. What makes this drug worse than others? While scopolamine shares some effects with common date-rape drugs, it’s also known for something much worse than disorientation or hallucinations.
Zombie-like Mind Control Drugs
It’s said that victims completely lose their free will after being dosed with scopolamine. It’s also been described as producing a “zombie-like” effect, in which victims willingly follow along with whatever their captors suggest. However, these effects aren’t reported by the victims themselves; this is because the drug also causes memory loss. While under the influence, the people being targeted can’t remember names, faces, places, or events. From the outside, it’s also nearly impossible to tell that the person has been drugged – they appear fairly lucid, and even happy.
These characteristics make scopolamine perfect for honey trap scams. It isn’t so much that the victims are physically unable to resist; the main issue is that they’re mentally incapable of fighting back. They could be kept sedated for days on end, as they help their captors drain bank accounts, max out credit cards, and even carry their most valuable possessions into a waiting vehicle. Later, when the drug has worn off, there’s no way to identify the perpetrators, or even to piece together exactly what happened.
Paul Nguyen
Paul Nguyen – One of 50,000 Scopolamine-related Reports Per Year
There are a growing number of cases, especially in South American countries like Colombia, where honey trap scams have been involved in the deaths of tourists. Colombia is known as a hotspot for scopolamine-related crimes, with unofficial estimates set at about 50,000 instances per year. However, scammers in Colombia use other common date-rape drugs as well. One notable recent case occurred in Medellin, Colombia, where American tourist Paul Nguyen was drugged, robbed, and ultimately killed by a Colombian woman he met on a dating app.
Like many tourists in the city, he was there for a good time. He’d heard that Medellin had a colorful nightlife, and he was planning on attending a Bad Bunny concert while he was there. At some point, Paul decided to use a dating app; it didn’t take long before he’d matched with a beautiful woman who spoke very little English.
They made plans to meet in El Poblado, an affluent Medellin neighborhood that’s known for its upscale restaurants, bars, and clubs. While she wasn’t looking, he snapped a quick photo of her and posted it on Snapchat. She was slim and well-presented, with brown hair and a white jacket.
This was the photo that his friend gave to the police when he realized that Paul had failed to return to his Airbnb by the next morning.
Paul’s “date” and perpetrator behind his murder.
Paul’s body was found the day after his date, five miles away from the bar; his phone and wallet were gone. He had died from an overdose of clonazepam, which was almost certainly accidental, but no less deadly. It’s thought that he may have had a high tolerance to the drug that was used, and the kidnappers kept giving him more to keep him unconscious; this may have led to the fatal overdose. Thanks to the evidence of Paul’s photo (which his friend had screenshotted before it disappeared), the woman was caught – along with two alleged male accomplices.
It’s also alleged that these three were part of an organized gang, which was dedicated to honey trap scams. These groups exist all over the world, with Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico having numerous cases on record. Sometimes the gangs are expansive and highly organized, while at other times they only consist of three or four people. Regardless, it’s clear that this type of crime is on the rise.
Capturing Perpetrators can be Difficult
The capture of Paul Nguyen’s alleged murderers was a rare instance of justice for this type of crime. Since so many honey trap scams use scopolamine on their targets (which causes memory loss), the victims are completely unable to remember their attackers. In many cases, they can’t even recall what they did the night before, who they met, or anything else that happened while under the influence of the drug.
Regardless of the drug that was used, the aftermath is often the same. A common scenario is the victim waking up feeling disoriented and hungover, sometimes with evidence of being beaten, and discovering that their bank accounts were drained over a period of days. Police investigations rarely turn up any evidence, since the perpetrators are smart enough to avoid security cameras at banks and ATMs.
Given the rise of honey trap scams in many different countries, it’s important to be able to spot them as early as possible. When using dating apps, watch out for warning signs like watermarked photos or stock images on the profiles. These usually indicate that the person you’re talking with isn’t who they say they are, which is always a red flag on a dating app.
Travel and Dating Safety Tips
When on a date with a stranger, it’s important to stay aware of the dangers of honey trap scams. These are some of the most essential precautions you should take to reduce your chances of becoming a victim.
- Don’t go anywhere without a friend. These scams usually target single men, so the mere presence of another person could make all the difference.
- Never leave your food or drink unattended, even for a few seconds. If someone you just met offers you a drink that you didn’t watch being made, turn it down. One trick is to keep your hand over the glass or bottle you’re drinking from; this way, even if you get distracted for a few seconds, there’s no opportunity to slip something into the beverage.
- Some drugs, such as scopolamine, are administered through tricks like a woman asking a man to smell her perfumed hand; just a small sprinkle of the drug on her skin is enough to have an effect if inhaled. If a stranger invites you to do something that would require you to get close to them for any reason, they could have an ulterior motive.
- When meeting up with someone for a first date, always share your live location with friends through apps like WhatsApp.
- If you’re exploring an unfamiliar country, hire a guide who can acquaint you with local customs, cultural norms, etc.
- Don’t leave a public spot (such as a bar or club) to go to a private location with a stranger.
Most people would describe the current dating scene as tough to navigate, but not enough of them actually know how dangerous it can be. Whether they’re in the United States, Colombia, or anywhere else in the world, it’s crucial to be aware of honey pot scams. Not just how they work, but how to avoid becoming a victim as well.
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