What's the reality of safety in Buenos Aires?

[BenStone]

I just found this video about "Argentina's Very Chinese Capital" while searching for the Buenos Aires episodio of Scam City:

I found the comments especially interesting as I lived within walking distance from Chinatown for a year before "Goung Galt" in the farsourh of Pcia. Bs. As. fourteen years ago.

Thanks. I will give this a watch.

 

[BenStone]

I received this email today.

Location: Buenos Aires/Countrywide

Event: U.S. Embassy Buenos Aires has seen an increase in reports of robberies involving drugs that temporarily incapacitate victims. Victims have been targeted in bars, night clubs, and through dating applications. Avoid leaving food or drinks unattended at a bar or restaurant, and refuse offers of something to eat or drink from a stranger. Be cautious before inviting individuals back to your hotel or residence.

Actions to Take:

• If you are imminent danger, contact local authorities by dialing “911.”
• Do not leave drinks or food unattended or take drinks from strangers.
• Strongly consider meeting only in public places and avoid meeting or returning to isolated locations, such as residences or hotel rooms, where crimes are more likely to occur.
• Tell a friend or family member of your plans, including where you are going, details of the person you are meeting, and the app you used to meet them. Victims who are targeted via online dating applications tend to have their electronic devices stolen which often contain all evidence of communication with the assailants.
• Avoid going to bars or nightclubs alone and leaving with strangers.
• Trust your instincts – if something does not feel right, do not hesitate to walk away from a situation.
• Seek medical attention if you believe you may have been drugged.

Assistance:

U.S. Embassy Buenos Aires, Argentina
Phone number: +54 11 5777 4533
Contact us through the ACS Navigator

Thanks. This is good info for people in general. For myself, I don't go to bars, nightclubs, or dating apps

 

[Rich One]

It's a real danger for unaware single males. Black widows/ers do exist..!
Stay safe never invite to your place, visit their place or a Telo/motel. Carry small amounts of cash no valuables, CC .
Victims wake up next day to find TV, electronics and even Fridge gone.

 

[SinPulgas]

It's a real danger for unaware single males. Black widows/ers do exist..!
Stay safe never invite to your place, visit their place or a Telo/motel. Carry small amounts of cash no valuables, CC .
Victims wake up next day to find TV, electronics and even Fridge gone.

How many times has it happened to you, Rich One? We know you get around.

 

[BenStone]

It's a real danger for unaware single males. Black widows/ers do exist..!
Stay safe never invite to your place, visit their place or a Telo/motel. Carry small amounts of cash no valuables, CC .
Victims wake up next day to find TV, electronics and even Fridge gone.

Hahha even the Fridge! Tomorrow I'm gonna buy my wife some flowers!

 

[Quilombo]

I don't know anyone who has been successfully targeted by the black widow scam, but I've noticed reports of it increasing, and Jan's post from the Embassy suggests that it's not just empirical accounts either.

The targets of scams seem to all be the same: young, single, males thinking with the wrong head if you know what I mean. This isn't to victim blame, it's horrible that this happens to them, but guys need to me smart about looking for a casual encounter while abroad, especially if they don't speak the language and are traveling alone.

These are the current scams I'm aware of. People I know/have met either have been the victims of them, or targeted by them, but caught the signals in time:

For straight males, the scam involves a pretty woman or sometimes even two striking up a convo with them at a bar or club, and then being direct about suggesting they head back to the tourist's hotel room or Airbnb. Before the guy knows it, he's been drugged via his drink as he's leaving, and instead of getting lucky, he gets "helped" back to his room, and robbed as others have said, often with anything not nailed down growing legs.

For gay/bi males, the scam involves a stronger man targeting a man assumed to be physically weaker to shakedown for their phone/wallet, i.e. the scammer pretends to be looking to meet on a hookup app, and robs the victim when meeting, sometimes with accomplices. Other times it's all digital, blackmailing men by threatening those who aren't out of the closet to reveal their orientation to family/friends/coworkers, expose acts of unfaithfulness to a spouse or partner, or to share their nude images family/friends/coworkers (though this doesn't work as much as it used to). The best way to avoid the later is not to connect social media to apps like Grindr, which should go without saying...

Finally, for both, there's a WhatsApp scam where the scammer sends sexually explicit images, asks for them in return, and then claims to be a minor before passing off the victim's number to their accomplice posing as a cop working at a neighborhood comisaria who will take a fine (bribe) to make the whole problem "go away". I've noticed a lot of Argentine guys fall for this, and less so tourists/foreigners, but scammers don't discriminate. This scam disproportionately targets straight men. While I'm sure they exist, the overwhelming majority of women don't want pics of your business, so odds are if someone is asking you for it, they're either trying to scam you, or they're catfishing.

 

[Rich One]

How many times has it happened to you, Rich One? We know you get around.

If you follow the safety measures I mentioned, you will be safe. You won't score though!

 

[Ries]

When you really need to worry is when they ask to see pictures of your fridge.

 

[Rich One]

If you follow the safety measures I mentioned, you will be safe. You won't score though!

Remember it depends on how many drops of the drug they use, once you are immobilized they phone accomplices to empty the place. If they didn't overdo the drug you may wake up ?.
Some young Argentine soccer players were victims.
Many cases go unreported, for privacy reasons.

 

[FrankPintor]

When you really need to worry is when they ask to see pictures of your fridge.

"Me voy a comer el mundo" on the Gourmet channel? Videos of fridge are obligatory