St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office deputies assisted the Miami-Dade Police Department in locating and arresting 22-year-old Port St. Lucie resident Alexis Raianna Cardenas. Cardenas was wanted on an out-of-county warrant for conspiring to utilize the dating app Tinder to lure a male victim on a date in order to commit an armed carjacking in Miami-Dade County.
Cases like this aren't new. Dating apps have been linked to a wide range of crimes. Just last month, an Ohio man was swindled out of $75,000 in an online dating scam involving a woman who promised him big returns on a cryptocurrency investment. Around this same time, an Orange County man was robbed and killed after meeting a Tinder date at a nightclub in Columbia. Disturbing trends in sexual assault cases are also concerning. In a recent study, researchers from Brigham Young University reviewed nearly 2,000 sexual assault records and found that approximately 14% of victims were attacked after meeting their date online.
While you may not be able to eliminate your risk completely, there are several steps you can take to protect yourself.
Limit the amount of personal information you post on your dating profile or share online. This includes information like your address, phone number, employer, and social media handles. Criminals can use this information to identify your location.
Prior to a date, share your location with a friend or family member as an extra layer of precaution. If something feels off, let them know immediately.
Always meet for your initial date in a high-traffic public space.
Chat within the app's messaging platform until you feel comfortable meeting your date in person.
If you've fallen victim to an online dating scam, report it. Doing so could prevent others from becoming a target.
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