A Venezuelan man who lured three American men in the Dominican Republic through a dating app and held them hostage for ransom will spend 25 years in prison, a judge in Washington, D.C., ordered this month.
On three separate occasions between July 5, 2022 and July 30, 2022, 30-year-old Davey Jose Rodriguez Delgado used the nickname “Sebastian” to set up a date with the victim, then later reported to the U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO). ) picked up the victim in a car. A reporter from the District of Columbia said in a press release.
Delgado drove a short distance, then stopped the car and let his accomplice jump into the back seat. The pair then physically restrained the startled victim for up to an hour and demanded a ransom for his release.
At knifepoint, each victim was ordered to call a friend or family member and send money to Delgado's CashApp account. Each of the victims was then robbed of their personal belongings before being unceremoniously released onto the street.
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According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, the photo was one that Davey Jose Rodriguez Delgado used on a dating site to set up a date with the victim. (U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia)
After launching an investigation in August 2022, authorities in the Dominican Republic tracked the vehicles used in the two abductions to Delgado, and when they arrested Delgado on September 14, 2022, they found the vehicles used in the attacks. I found a knife.
After a nearly two-week trial, a jury found him guilty of one count of hostage-taker conspiracy and three counts of hostage-taking, according to the USAO office. He will serve 25 years in federal prison followed by five years of probation.
Delgado will also be subject to deportation proceedings upon his release. His lawyer could not be reached for comment.
This view shows Playa Blanca beach in the Dominican Republic. (Cristina Perez/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images/File)
Patrick McCall of the McCall Risk Group, which conducts private investigations and provides bodyguard services domestically and internationally, told Fox News Digital that his agency has been working with Delgado in the Dominican Republic, other parts of the world, and even in the United States. He said he had witnessed the plan before.
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Delgado held each of the three victims at knifepoint with another man and forced them to call friends and family to collect ransom money. (U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia.)
”This is some kind of new scam. It's targeted at people who are kind of lonely, or who are looking for that connection, and are trying to find it outside of traditional means in the United States, or maybe go to a local bar, or go to a local I go to read books and go to places where people traditionally gather. The people I've found these types of connections with or met locally have basically been on the internet, searching, and using US-based apps, but with no luck, I've had friends ask me about it. You may have been referred or encouraged to try another alternative app. That kind of opens the door to international incidents like what happened in the Dominican Republic,” McCall told FOX News Digital.
These romance scammers, who are usually foreign nationals working overseas or within the United States, are highly sophisticated and “rarely caught,” McCall said.
“They're trying to establish a trusting relationship with you. It's a type of trust…like a scam or a scheme,” McCall said. “They will increase my confidence that the person I am talking to is indeed that person. They are genuine. They are not asking me for money. They are not asking me to send anything. I'm not there.'' ”
Tourists walk on Bibihagua Beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, May 20, 2023. (Felix Leon/AFP via Getty Images/File)
Mr McCall recommended meeting strangers in public places, especially when abroad.
“These people have an intimate relationship with someone, but they don't meet at a resort or in a public place like we had here in New York,” he said. “They're basically in this person's backyard, and this person calls in from the airport, picks them up at a resort or some place, takes them outside to an unknown area, and then ultimately… “That's where this person, you are.'' You know, prey on them and leave a mark on them. ”
Romance scammers often use dating apps to lure victims, McCall said, targeting wealthy people who are likely to be embarrassed if their co-workers or family find out about their romantic or casual dating efforts. It is said that there are many.
However, McCall also said that you can prevent yourself from falling victim to this type of scam by always letting someone know your whereabouts.
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The photo shows the knife used in the attack, which Dominican police recovered from Delgado's car. (U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.)
“If you want to buy a car, you might want to get a second opinion or talk to your family. [if] You are about to start a new job and are planning to tell your family or someone you trust about this new job possibility. The same goes for this relationship,” McCall said. “If I'm going to go meet someone and leave the country to go somewhere else, leave the state to go somewhere else, go outside of my comfort zone, I think so,” I always say to someone. Let them know, “Hey, this is the person I'm talking about.” Here is the information. ”
He also recommended doing your own research and using a reverse image search tool to make sure your potential match's photo doesn't appear elsewhere online.
Security experts have warned of dating app scams in the Dominican Republic and other tourist hotspots. (St. Petersburg)
“Find out as much as you can to make sure the person is who they say they are,” he said. “Today, with the World Wide Web, you can go on the Internet and find someone within minutes. You go to Google, type in someone's photo, and it's on LinkedIn sites and all sorts of other things. See if it appears on your social media site, any news article.
“Has this person been arrested for a heinous crime? Is this person a bank official who they claim works at this bank? So I always tell people, do your due diligence. Pay your respects, act smart, and don't be mean.'' Embarrassing. “
Playing hard-to-get on online dating sites can be advantageous in a number of ways, McCall said.
This view shows the beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. (St. Petersburg)
“Tell me a few things first, hey, listen, I'm just on the site to have a conversation. Talk to people. Just let it out that you're looking to meet someone. Or maybe you could meet someone,'' McCall suggested. ”[Say] “I'm not looking to meet anyone. I'm just looking for friends online. I've never traveled to these countries. I never travel to these states. I really don't want to do this. Never leave.
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“If that person wants to have a conversation or bond with you, they will do that with you. [But if that] The person is trying to deceive you, but since they are not genuine, they are moving on to easier targets. They approach people who potentially want to meet with them, intending to carry out their plans to extort money, take them hostage, or even worse. ”
