Last November, American Paul Nguyen (27 years old) was on vacation in Medellin, Colombia, with a friend.
On Wednesday, November 9th, he decided to go on a date with a woman he met on Tinder.
Amy Nguyen’s sister is 27 years old The Independent that the brother was last seen at 2 a.m. on Thursday on his way out of a bar.
I took a picture
During the evening, the 27-year-old took a photo of the woman he was on a date with when she hadn’t followed through, and shared it with friends on Snapchat. This was the last his friends heard from him.
Nguyen was found dead on the morning of Thursday, November 10
– They took all his things. Sister says all his cards were used up at 4 in the morning.
– We believe multiple people were involved, and that the woman he met on Tinder was used to scam him, she says.
The family created one fundraiser To bring home the deceased 27-year-old, and at the end of November he was taken home with the help of a number of donors.
Three imprisoned
The Colombian Attorney General’s office now states that three people were arrested and placed in pre-trial detention on Easter suspicion of the murder.
The arrest comes after friends and family of Paul collected material on social media and contributed to the investigation.
By Sucisco de la Visalia, a judge in Medellin imposed a security measure at a prison center against Evelyn Henao Herrera, 21, and César Augusto Mendoza Lopez, 28, as responsible for the murder of a Vietnamese-American. pic.twitter.com/nrrfzzOPqk
– Fiscalía Colombia (Fiscalia Col) April 4, 2023
Police suspect the three worked together to vandalize and rob the 27-year-old. It is said to be the drug Nguyen had received, clonazepam, that killed him.
So far, 41 people have been victims of drug-related robberies in Medellin in 2023, according to deputy news. It does not always have a fatal outcome, but there is a trend of using social media and dating apps to achieve communication.
Across much of South America, gangs have been seen working together to trick people into Tinder dates, then drug and rob them.
Arrested: Days Three, Number Two, Four and Six Left, suspects in the case. Photo: Medellin Public Prosecutor’s Office
Police are still investigating whether more people were involved, but stressed that the groups that deal with this type of theft are often small.
Vice News spoke to Tinder about this, who explained that users’ safety is very important, and their thoughts are with the victim’s survivors.
Norwegians abroad
Felix Seifert wrote a master’s thesis on Tinder, and researched screening app use in Norway.
He says his clear impression is that Norwegians use Tinder frequently when they are on holiday abroad.
– It’s pretty clear that if you’re on a girl’s trip or a boy’s trip, there are likely to be many people who use this type of app to connect with people they wouldn’t meet otherwise, he tells TV2.
Seifert stresses that there are some simple precautions that can contribute to increased safety.
– In larger countries, I’d like to make sure the person you’re meeting has an authorized user. There is a function in Tinder that allows you to verify that the person you are talking to is actually who they say they are.
It also encourages you to use Google and do a little research on the person before you meet them, and also prefer where you are going to meet.
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