Is Bogotá Safe in May 2026?

Thieves on motorcycles or on foot target pedestrians using smartphones in the Chapinero neighborhood, particularly along Carrera 7 and around the Chapinero Alto and LGBT-friendly bar strip on Calle 62. The snatch typically happens in seconds — a rider pulls alongside the sidewalk, a passenger grabs the phone, and the motorcycle accelerates before the victim can react. The area sees heightened incidents on weekend nights when foot traffic and distraction levels are high.

How to avoid: Keep your phone out of sight or in a front pocket when walking on busy Chapinero streets. If you must use your phone, step into a shop or doorway. Never walk while looking down at your screen near the road edge. Use navigation via earphones with the phone stowed rather than holding it up. Stay on well-lit central stretches of Carrera 7 and avoid side streets after dark.

Passengers in unlicensed taxis are driven to multiple ATMs under threat and forced to make withdrawals. This is a serious and documented risk throughout Bogotá, not limited to any one neighbourhood.

How to avoid: Use only Uber, InDriver, or Cabify with trip tracking. Never hail an unmarked taxi from the street in Bogotá, regardless of the time of day.

Bogotá is the city most associated with scopolamine (burundanga) worldwide. The drug is administered in drinks, cigarettes, or occasionally blown in someone's face, causing complete amnesia and compliance. Victims are walked to ATMs.

How to avoid: Never accept food, drinks, or cigarettes from strangers. Keep drinks covered and in sight at all times. Be especially cautious in bars and nightclubs frequented by tourists.

Scopolamine, derived from the borrachero tree, is odorless and can be blown into a victim's face, applied to paper, or slipped into drinks. Victims lose free will, hand over valuables voluntarily, and have no memory of events. Reported near bars and clubs in Chapinero and La Candelaria.

How to avoid: Never accept drinks, cigarettes, or food from strangers in bars or on the street. Be extremely cautious on dating apps — some report matches using this drug. Do not leave drinks unattended. Avoid accepting flyers from strangers as the drug can be on the paper.

Card skimming devices are installed on ATMs in and around Zona Rosa, particularly at standalone machines near nightlife venues on Calle 82 and Carrera 13. Criminals attach thin overlays to card readers and pinhole cameras above keypads to capture card data and PINs. Victims typically do not discover the theft until checking their accounts the following day. Compromised cards are often used for rapid small transactions or cloned for cash withdrawals across the city.

How to avoid: Use ATMs inside bank branches during business hours rather than standalone street machines. Cover the keypad with your hand when entering your PIN. Check your card reader for any loose overlay by giving it a firm tug before inserting your card. Consider using cash withdrawn before going out for the evening rather than at nightlife ATMs.