The El Paso Field Office of the FBI has warned of a steady rise in virtual kidnapping extortion crimes targeting unlawful migrants along the border between the United States and Mexico.
According to Border Report news, eight virtual kidnappings have already been investigated this year, compared to the ten total cases reported throughout the entirety of 2021.
A February 4 FBI press release described kidnapping extortion as a suspect’s forceful exploitation of a victim into giving them money.
Virtual kidnapping occurs when a suspect contacts a victim and convinces them that their loved one has been kidnapped, coercing them into paying a ransom though no physical abduction has taken place.
This exploitation is accomplished through intimidation, blackmail, and/or actual physical or emotional harm: an urgent, panic-inducing threat is typically made against the body, property, or livelihood of the victim, or leveled against the victim’s family or friends.
Traditional and virtual kidnappings for ransom are some of the most common extortion crimes investigated by FBI El Paso, according to the press release.
The suspect often strategizes to make the victim believe that contacting law enforcement will result in harm to them or to the “abducted” person. As a result, many victims have handed over thousands of dollars under false pretenses before alerting authorities.
According to the FBI press release, a variation on these types of extortion schemes has been increasingly directed toward unlawful migrants who have paid human smugglers to bring them across the U.S-Mexico border.
The press release illustrated the process of the increasingly common scam scenario: “Extortionists call random rooms at U.S. hotels near the border and tell guests their hotel is surrounded by armed enforcers. The criminals convince the guests to take pictures of themselves in “tied-up” positions, to leave their hotel, check into another U.S. hotel, or drive across the border to a Mexico-based hotel. The extortionist then convinces the victim to video-call and take a screenshot. The criminals will then send [that] photo to the victim’s family, convince them that their loved one is kidnapped, and coerce them to pay a ransom.”
The release explains that many victims of this crime do not report it for fear they will be deported due to their immigration status.
“FBI El Paso wants to stress the focus of the investigation is not on a person’s immigration status, but instead the extortion crime,” the press release assured.
Per Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey R. Downey: “These types of cases are tragic. It’s not the amount of money involved; it’s the fact innocent victims are tricked into believing their loved ones are in danger and the horror and helplessness they feel as they scramble to secure what they think is their release.”
