Richard — a 45-year-old from San Diego on his third week in Medellín — woke up in his hotel room with no memory of the previous four hours. The last thing he recalled was accepting a drink from a friendly local man at a bar on Parque Lleras. He had lost his laptop, his wallet, his phone, and the watch he had worn for twenty years. The local man was gone. The drinks had been spiked with scopolamine — a drug derived from the borrachero plant (brugmansia), native to Colombia and widely available. It renders victims cooperative and amnesiac. Richard was not unusual. A Bogotá emergency room toxicology report from 2026 counted 312 scopolamine cases in the first half of the year — an 85.8% increase over the same period in 2024. Most victims were foreigners.
Colombia in 2026 is a genuinely welcoming country with a thriving expat community. It also has a documented set of scams and criminal tactics that target foreigners specifically — in some cases because of language barriers, in others because of perceptions of wealth, and in others because of predictable behavioral patterns that are easy to exploit. Understanding them is not paranoia; it is the difference between a good experience and a ruined one.
H1 2026 vs. H1 2024
cartel-linked cabs
leads globally
most common in Medellín
Scopolamine (Burundanga)
Scopolamine is administered by dissolving it in a drink, blowing it in a victim's face as a powder, or smearing it on a surface the victim touches. The drug induces a compliant, cooperative state in which the victim follows instructions and appears functional — then causes complete amnesia of the episode. Victims have withdrawn their own cash from ATMs, handed over phone passwords, and invited attackers into their homes with no recollection of doing so. Prevention: never leave a drink unattended in a bar; never accept an open drink from a stranger; be cautious of unsolicited physical contact in crowded spaces; avoid getting into conversations with overly friendly strangers who approach first in tourist areas.
The Fake Taxi
Unofficial taxis — either unmarked cars or yellow cabs operating outside the regulated system — are the vehicle for a range of robberies, express kidnappings, and assaults. Victims are driven to an ATM at gunpoint and forced to withdraw cash. Prevention: use only InDriver, Cabify, or the Medellín Taxis Libres app — every ride-hailing trip is tracked, the driver is identified, and there is a digital record. The risk with street taxis is not primarily price — it is physical safety.
Virtual Kidnapping
A caller tells the victim that their family member has been kidnapped and demands immediate wire transfer for their release. The "kidnapped" family member is not kidnapped — and usually can be reached immediately on another channel. The caller uses social engineering to keep the victim on the line, panicked, and unable to verify. Colombia has historically been the global leader in virtual kidnapping calls. Prevention: hang up and immediately call the family member on a separate channel. Never transfer money in response to a phone call claiming a family member is in danger.
The Tinder/Dating App Trap
An attractive person matches with a foreigner on a dating app. After building rapport, they suggest meeting at a specific bar or apartment. Upon arrival, the foreigner is given a scopolamine-spiked drink or is presented with a large bill for drinks and escorted by accomplices to an ATM to pay. Documented extensively in Medellín's El Poblado neighborhood. Prevention: always meet first dates in public spaces you chose yourself; share your location with a trusted contact; tell someone where you're going.
Police Impersonation
"Police officers" in civilian clothes or partial uniform approach foreigners claiming to be undercover officers investigating counterfeit currency or drug trafficking. They ask to see the victim's wallet or phone to "verify" there are no counterfeit bills — and disappear with the items. Real Colombian police in uniform do have the right to request identification, but they do not have the right to search wallets or phones without cause. Prevention: ask to see official credentials, ask for the officer's badge number, and insist on going to the nearest official police station (CAI) if any search is requested.