Mexican Authorities Say Belizeans Targeted in Virtual Kidnapping Scam in Chetumal

A scare involving three Belizean nationals in Chetumal that circulated widely on social media over the weekend has been clarified by Mexican authorities, who say the incident was not a kidnapping but a case of virtual extortion.  In a statement issued by the Fiscalía General del Estado de Quintana Roo, officials reported that two women and one man from Belize, between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five, were targeted in an extortion attempt aimed at pressuring their relatives to pay a ransom.  Authorities say the incident occurred on the night of March 8 after the young Belizeans attended a graduation ceremony in Chetumal. The group began receiving suspicious phone calls directing them to move to different locations, a common tactic used in virtual kidnapping schemes.  Around midnight, investigators contacted the father of the two women, who had already received threatening calls demanding three hundred and fifty thousand Mexican pesos. The extortionists claimed the young people had been captured by an armed group and even sent photos to support the claim.  However, investigators later determined that the suspects had cloned one of the victim’s WhatsApp accounts, using it to mislead both the victims and their family members.  Authorities instructed the family not to make any payments and quickly launched a search operation. The three Belizeans were soon located safe and unharmed.  Ambassador Oscar Arnold says the mission worked with Mexican authorities to ensure the safety of the Belizean nationals and support their families.

Oscar Arnold, Ambassador of Belize to Mexico: “We couldn’t get a feeling of exactly what was taking place because there was no official report that was that was lodged or that of any complaint that was made by any family member either to the Belize police side or the Mexican police. Early this morning we found out that the individuals were delivered home safely, they were with their families and they were on the Belize side and all three were safe. That’s what we’ve learned today through reports that were made after the the three individuals were released and were found by police was that it was an elaborate attempt of what Mexican authorities have come to know as a virtual kidnapping. So these individuals were not accosted, they were not held by a group of individuals, but they were meant to believe as if though they were being watched, being monitored, and that their life was at risk. What was involved was a family member, or one of the young ladies, their phone was cloned, and they were being contacted, or their family members were being contacted and led to believe that they were in grave danger and that they were kidnapped. What the individuals did that made the phone call, they also did video chat with them, they forced them or the requirement of them was to take certain pictures so that they would send to their family members as well to fool the family members into thinking that it was a real kidnapping. From the state attorney general’s office in Quintana Roo, it is ascertained that this call came from a detention facility in the state of Tamaulipas where this whole elaborate scheme was was concocted and what they’ve done because we’ve had reports of this in the past where phone numbers become compromised. I myself have received these phone calls here in Mexico, but I really haven’t paid them any mind. But what they do, they would call and they would say, “We are watching you. We have people in the area who are watching you. And for your safety, or to guarantee your safety, you need to pay this amount of money by either depositing it into an account or making an electronic transfer.” That they were in Chetumal and that they would contact them again, which is an initial tactic to see if you’re listening or if you’re complying with their demands. At that point, when the three individuals did that, the kidnappers or the alleged kidnappers knew that these individuals were in fear of their life and that they would comply. The second request was made that they go to a hotel and go to a room and be locked up in the room. And that is when the other half of the scheme started where they would then make demands on the family. Speaking to one of the parents of the two young ladies, he said that he had mentioned that they would start negotiating. I believe the initial amount was 340,000 pesos. Then that went down to 200,000 pesos. They are from a village up north and when he got home because he had reported to work at five, when he got home, villagers were already there and some of them had already seen everything on social media and the village was coming together to try to donate $5, $10, $20 to try to gather as much money as they could so that he would have to bring his family members at home. Speaking to him, he mentioned that he later on, he was contacted by Mexican police and told him about the elaborate scheme where individuals would do this and not to pay a ransom. And so he didn’t, but he can’t say for sure if the other family did so. I wouldn’t put it past anyone that they have some level of elaborate network where they can’t access information because the main thing here is they try to instill fear in you. They try to instill a situation where you believe that your life is at risk and that you will pay. And hence why we saw a low amount for the ransom demand because they want to make it an amount that makes it viable for them, but also it’s not too exorbitant that families can’t pay. One of the suggestions, one of the recommendations would be that when you don’t recognize a number, when you’re traveling like that, you don’t answer it whether it’s on WhatsApp or whether it’s a direct call to your local number.”

Investigations indicate the threatening calls originated from a prison facility in Altamira, where authorities say similar extortion schemes have been traced in the past.  The case first gained attention after social media posts claimed Belizeans had been kidnapped and that a ransom of forty thousand Belize dollars was being demanded. Mexican officials say that information was inaccurate.  Mexican authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant and avoid responding to suspicious calls claiming relatives are being held hostage. Anyone receiving such threats is advised to immediately contact law enforcement so officials can verify the situation and investigate the source of the calls./