With summer travel approaching, officials are issuing a security alert to Americans who are using dating apps in certain areas of Mexico, warning travelers to use caution due to a rise in kidnappings linked to the apps.

On Monday, the U.S. Embassy and consulates in Mexico shared a security alert after confirming “several reports of U.S. citizens being kidnapped by individuals the victims met on dating apps in recent months.”

“You’ve got to be careful, buyer beware. You’ve got to assume that something bad could happen to you in this process,” Bobby McDonald, a retired supervisory Secret Service agent and a lecturer in criminal justice at the University of New Haven, shared with Fox News Digital about dating app dangers.

“If you choose to use it, be on extra-high alert. Be extra careful of where you’re meeting this person or persons. Make sure that it’s in a public area. Make sure it’s an area where you’re going to have cell phone service. Make sure that you’re just watching out for yourself, situational awareness. Be careful and let people know where you are,” McDonald urged.

The U.S. Consulate General said it is reminding U.S. citizens that in the State Department’s travel advisory for Mexico, Jalisco is classified as “Level 3,” which means “reconsider travel” due to crime and kidnapping. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

The State Department said it reviews travel advisories on a regular basis and would update alerts “any time conditions change substantially.”

“The Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas,” a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

“We take seriously our commitment to provide U.S. citizens with clear and reliable information about every destination in the world so they can make informed travel decisions. We make this information available to U.S. citizens so they can be aware of their surroundings and take necessary precautions.”

Level 1 and 2 advisories are reviewed every 12 months, while Levels 3 and 4 are reviewed at least every six months, the department added.

The department also said that the security alert issued by the embassy is a reminder for “U.S. citizens to use caution when using dating apps.” 

McDonald said that while he feels travelers don’t need to put too much emphasis on the warning levels and the semantics, doing research prior to traveling and reading what the State Department is saying about the area is crucial in decision-making.

“If you’re a little bit concerned, and you’ve done your research on the area, and you’re checking out what the State Department is saying, and they say ‘exercise increased caution,’ that would say to me, ‘Hey, maybe you want to postpone your trip to that area,’” McDonald said. “That means that that area is on the radar, things are happening there or the potential for more things to happen there are out there.”

McDonald added that there are many safe places for travelers to escape to, and it’s just a matter of being prepared. 

“We need to be able to choose wisely when we’re picking our vacation times, and when there are advisories out there like this, we need to be cognizant of the fact that you don’t want to step yourself into an area that might be having increased trouble at the moment,” McDonald said. 

“It’s situational awareness, knowledge of your area, a little bit of homework on the front end, and you can hopefully have a very safe and enjoyable vacation.”