Safety from Scopolomine - bank accounts - phone apps - passwords

Your strategies seem to be good ones.  But the risk is still pretty small overall.  Something like a secuestro exprés is still possible where you are forced to accompany the thieves as they empty your accounts from ATMs.

Always staying alert, don't engage with strangers, situational awareness, no dar papaya, going out in groups with the family/friends,  all can help reduce risk but not eliminate it.

@stealtannest3t

Like @OsageArcher said, it sounds like you're basically prepared. If you wanted to reduce your risk even further, I'd HIGHLY recommend:

1. Avoid the street girls entirely
2. If you meet any woman from Tinder or other dating apps, vet them as best as you can before hooking up.
3. If, after meeting them at a cafe, vetting them, etc. and you DO bring her to your crib... bring ONLY her (no friends), and make sure the portero is aware (make her show ID, etc) and make sure she isn't allowed to leave without being accompanied by you.
4. Before you bring anyone over, secure your valuables. No laptop, gadgets, loose cash, etc. lying around.
5. If possible, she should come without her purse. But if she DOES bring her purse, make her leave it somewhere she cannot easily reach, like, at the door or something.
6. This goes without saying but... always use protection (condoms).

Maybe this sounds like a lot, but once you get the hang of it, setting your boundaries early will help you avoid the hardcore "opportunistic" criminals who are really just looking for an easy target (once they see you have your sh!t on lock and you're not one of those Dumb Medellin Crypto-Passport-Bros who're just BEGGING to be scoped & robbed, they'll lose interest, AKA "weed themselves out"). So, don't make it easy for them.

By the way, if you just want sex (as the Basic Human Need that it is) without having to think about all this stuff, and you don't care if the experience is "warm lover" or "cold fish", then it's better to just go to a brothel. Sure, there'll be no illusion of actual attraction or passion, no passionate mouth-kissing, and some workers are "cold" (or just tired)... but at least you won't have to worry about safety and theft. And if you're nice and charming enough, and you happen to pick a sweet, not-yet-jaded worker who genuinely enjoys sex (or is good at acting), you might STILL get a "warm" experience. It's worth a shot.

In any case, be safe, and good luck!

@ ChineduOpara - From your lips to God's ears! Spot on.

My very first visit and extended 4 month stay was to Bogota in November of 1990, those were different times for sure.

Fast forward 35 years and been living the past 10 YEARS right outside Medellin and over these past 35 years I too have been no saint but ALWAYS have kept the basics of "situational awareness" as you laid out as second nature, so far going good!

I could write a book about what I have personally experienced, what I have observed from others and the changes over the decades that now puts such a stain on what a decades ago would have been a much less effortless visit to Medellin than what it has evolved into.

[...]I could write a book about what I have personally experienced, what I have observed from others and the changes over the decades that now puts such a stain on what a decades ago would have been a much less effortless visit to Medellin than what it has evolved into. - @South American Voyager

Please write something, even if it's a blog post or Facebook post, so that I can read it and link to it from my own travel blog 😊 The info-sphere surrounding Colombia seems to be focused on mainly drug cartel history or activities, sex tourism, scoping/robbing, or mild/shallow/naive tourism. We need to add our "realistic, experienced, on-the-ground, day-to-day reality of Colombia" voices to the ether. The more voices, the better, IMHO...

@stealtannest3t

If you dont have street smarts you  are screwed

Just avoid Medelliin and Parts of Bogota and Cali and you.will.be  ok

Most of  these guys thst get scoped are real bobos, desperate guys looking to get laid, incels in their own country

Having 2 step verification  on your phone  and no local bank accounts doesnt do you much good if you are dead

There are guys who get scoped who have half their s*** together. You can hide your wallet and carry a burner phone, great, but that doesn't help much if the drug puts you in cardiac arrest. You can be drugged in a bar, through the air, before she gets you in the taxi. You all are taking a huge risk.

Unfortunately I can speak with experience on this matter.

After visiting and working in Colombia for 12-14 trips since 2012 and being fully aware of this risk I unfortunately got 'scoped' myself. An experienced traveller of ~40 countries and situationally aware, I definitely knew better, but momentarily let my guard down.

Whilst your precautions are reasonable, the reality is that Scopolomine works much like a 'truth serum' once it's effects take hold.

So in that state of mind you can willingly give the phone password/code that enables the criminals to then download the various payment apps and the PW to your email to authenticate. You may even tell them about your other phone and where it is located in that drugged state.

The daily bank withdrawal limits are helpful for hard cash being taken, however in my instance they mostly made transfers out via Western Union, Remitly transactions and probably 50% were online shopping purchases.

About 35 were attempted and 20 were successful.  I previously had no WU or Remitly account to speak of, these were setup by them. They were able to execute 2 factor authentication as they could access my emails and text messages. Find my iphone was turned off etc etc. If you had valuables in a Safe assume you have given them the code to access it.

Having given this some thought since the experience I came to the conclusion that parking some funds with a relative was one measure, especially if they are in a different timezone. You can also pre-arrange with them to not action any request immediately (in case you are under the influence) and that you need to confirm the next day. The more time you can delay the better off your chances of being able to stop a pending payment/transfer.

Other ways that incorporate some kind of significant delay (ie. 12 hours + to process a transfer) could also work. For me I also park some funds with my stock broker/financial advisor and they keep the funds there, still accessible, but it's not app driven and takes 2 business days to hit your normal bank account, again you are buying time.

If you are on a date you may be able to ask them for a Photo ID and text that to a friend, of course it could be a fake id.

Hope this helps, stay safe.

I lived in Medellin years ago and stupidly let my guard down a couple times and nothing happened. Risk wasnt justburundanga actually.

That was before " scoping " became  real popular.

Now I live in peacefu Manizales, dont party, only go to Medellin on business.

Last   time I was in Medellin almost got run over by a moto. Same thing can happen here in Manizales if  your not careful Crossing the street or behind park cars with the motor running.  Got hit by a car twice. Luckily no damage.

I have been all over Colombia  in the last 20 years including  guerrilla areas. It is safe as you make it. Depends who you g0 with, and when you go.

Burundandnga is on the bottom of my list of risks.

@pek333

With all due respect, I find your precauciones excessive and un necessary.

You are leaving details out.

What are the dtails of you " letting your guard down"?

Maybe analyze your behavior that Led to this  incident to stop this type of behavior and  prevent it happening  again.

If it had to do  with hookers or even supposedly normal women, you know you have   to be very, very cautious now a days, espesciay in Medellin or other   big cities.

I would even say hookers are a lot safer than women you meet online, because the situation is easier to control.

@pek333[...]I would even say hookers are a lot safer than women you meet online, because the situation is easier to control. - @nico peligro

I just wanna echo what you said, and add to it: I would even say that BROTHELS are a lot safer than using dating apps, because the brothel workers kinda have to be on their "best behavior" (AKA "don't harm the clients and harm our business") so as to not lose their jobs.