Germany on Thursday warned its citizens against traveling to Russia for dates after they flirted on an online dating app such as Tinder, warning them of potential pitfalls, AFP reported.

TinderPhoto: Dreamtime

“Be careful with Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, etc.: new contacts may have ulterior motives,” the German Foreign Ministry warned on its Instagram account.

“Russia is currently not the best destination for the first such meeting,” the ministry added.

On its travel advice website, the Foreign Office also reports a resurgence of internet scams targeting Western European and American citizens in Russia when their correspondents try to steal money from them.

Following the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Germany has stepped up its travel warnings to Russia and is currently advising its citizens not to visit the country, warning in particular of possible “arbitrary arrests”.

Photo: Dreamstime