Scopolamine (known in Colombia as "burundanga") is one of the most dangerous drugs in the world. Not because of what it does to your body (although the effects can be severe), but because of what it does to your will: it eliminates it completely.
In Colombia, an estimated 50,000+ scopolamine-related incidents occur every year (OSAC, 2025). The drug is used in robberies, kidnappings, sexual assaults, and murders. And increasingly, the attack vector is dating apps.
What is scopolamine and how does it work
Scopolamine is an alkaloid derived from plants in the Solanaceae family, particularly the borrachero tree (Brugmansia), which grows abundantly in Colombia. In controlled medical doses, it's used for motion sickness and nausea. But in the doses used by criminals, its effects are devastating.
Effects of scopolamine in criminal doses:
- Complete loss of willpower: the victim obeys any instruction.
- Total amnesia: the victim remembers nothing of what happened.
- Extreme disorientation and confusion.
- Inability to make decisions or resist.
- In high doses: seizures, coma, and death.
Scopolamine is odorless, tasteless, and colorless. It can be put in a drink, blown in your face, or even transferred through a piece of paper or banknote. You cannot detect it with your senses.
How it's used on dates
The modus operandi is almost always the same. An attractive profile (usually fake) contacts the victim on a dating app. After some conversation, they agree to meet. The encounter seems normal: a coffee shop, a bar, a dinner. At some point, the scopolamine is administered.
The most common methods of administration:
- In the drink: while the victim is distracted or in the restroom, the drug is added to their cocktail, coffee, or juice.
- In a cigarette: the drug is infused into a cigarette offered to the victim.
- Through a piece of paper or card: the drug is applied to an object the victim touches and absorbs through the skin.
- Blown in the face: in close encounters, the powdered drug is blown directly. Less common on dates but it does happen.
Once the drug takes effect (10-20 minutes), the victim enters a state of total submission. Criminals can then: drain bank accounts using the victim's phone, take the victim to ATMs to withdraw cash, steal all belongings, or in the most severe cases, kidnap, sexually assault, or murder.
Real cases from dates in Colombia
Steven Valdez, a 31-year-old American travel blogger, matched with a woman on Tinder while visiting Colombia. During their date, she slipped scopolamine into his drink. He woke up hours later in an unknown location, missing his phone, wallet, watch, and camera. He remembered absolutely nothing.
Alok Shah, a 36-year-old Texan, had a similar experience: after a Tinder date, his vision "went sideways." When he regained partial consciousness, his captors had already drained his bank accounts. He spent three days in the hospital recovering.
Tou Ger Xiong, a 50-year-old Hmong-American comedian, traveled to Medellín and matched on Tinder. He was drugged, robbed, and murdered. Three suspects were sentenced to 28 years in prison.
How to protect yourself
Protection against scopolamine on dates combines preparation, tools, and habits. No single measure is foolproof, but together they dramatically reduce the risk.
Before the date
- Use an app that verifies your matches' identity. If the person isn't verified, think twice.
- Research the profile: reverse image search the photos, ask for a video call before meeting.
- Tell someone you trust where you're going, who you're meeting, and when you'll be back.
- Activate Veraz's Date Check-In (or send your live location to a friend via WhatsApp).
- Always meet in a public, well-known place. Never agree to be picked up at your home.
During the date
- NEVER leave your drink unattended. If you went to the restroom, order a new one.
- Don't accept drinks, cigarettes, or food from strangers.
- If your date insists you try "their" drink or offers a cigarette from an unfamiliar brand, decline.
- Keep your phone with you at all times, charged and with signal.
- If you feel any unusual symptoms (dizziness, confusion, blurred vision), act IMMEDIATELY, don't wait to be sure.
If you suspect you've been drugged
- Activate your safety app's SOS or send your location to a contact.
- Ask the nearest person for help: waiter, security guard, stranger on the street.
- Call 123 (Colombia emergency line).
- Get to the nearest hospital. It's a medical emergency.
- Don't wash or change clothes. Preserve evidence for the police report.
Technology as defense
Technology tools don't replace personal caution, but they add layers of protection that can save your life. Apps like Veraz are designed specifically for the dating safety context in Latin America.
Mandatory identity verification makes it nearly impossible to create a fake profile. The Trust Score lets you see someone's behavior history before accepting a date. And Date Check-In creates an automatic safety net that alerts your contacts if you stop responding.
Scopolamine doesn't discriminate. It can happen to anyone: man, woman, local, foreigner. The difference is how prepared you were before the date.
Dr. Mauricio Ángel, toxicologist, Hospital Santa Fe de Bogotá
Colombia is an incredible country with genuinely warm and generous people. The vast majority of dates are positive experiences. But scopolamine exists, and the criminals who use it are professionals. Being prepared isn't paranoia, it's common sense. Your next date should be exciting, not dangerous.