By Sylvia Longmire
Contributor, In Homeland Security

The arrest of three men in Fort Worth, Texas—in and of itself—probably doesn’t surprise anyone. The fact that they were extorting someone may not raise any eyebrows, either.

However, they were arrested specifically for picking up ransom money paid by an unidentified man who was told his brothers had been kidnapped in Mexico. Even after the two brothers were released, the man kept getting anonymous calls by someone threatening to kidnap them again if he didn’t pay up.

Fortunately, there was some resolution in this case. Extortion threats like this that involve people claiming association with a drug cartel in Mexico (the caller claimed he worked for the Cartel de Jalisco and Mexican police) are usually never reported. According to the Dallas Morning News, the victim reported the calls and threats to the FBI, and agents were able to arrest four men—including a juvenile—in a Home Depot parking lot.

While two men were actually kidnapped and released in Mexico in this situation, that isn’t always the case. There is a phenomenon called virtual kidnapping where individuals in Mexico call up targets in the U.S. and claim that they are holding a loved one hostage.

Because kidnapping and ransom is such a common Mexican drug cartel activity, victims in the U.S. rarely question the threats. They also avoid reporting the calls to the authorities for fear their loved ones will be harmed. Targets usually aren’t familiar with hostage negotiation tactics, so they don’t often ask for what’s called proof of life – to speak to the victim or to have a photograph sent proving it was taken recently and the victim is still alive.

Los Angeles Law Enforcement Prosecutes Texas Woman for Virtual Kidnapping

In July 2017, KTLA 5 News in Los Angeles reported that more than 80 people, most in Southern California, have been targeted by virtual kidnappers. Los Angeles police announced that a 34-year-old Houston woman had been taken into custody for virtual kidnapping threats and was charged in a 10-count federal indictment with conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering.

According to KTLA 5, it was the first prosecution of its kind. She allegedly gathered ransom money from victims, took a cut and then sent the rest to unidentified co-conspirators in Mexico.

On October 16, the FBI Phoenix Field Office told USA Today they have noticed an increase in these crimes in recent months in Arizona. They confirmed that they don’t know how many virtual kidnappings occur each year, because they believe most cases go unreported.

Phoenix FBI Special Agent Glenn Milnor said, “In this day and age, personal information about you is on the Internet, it’s everywhere.” He continued, “They can locate your address, they can locate your telephone number, and they can locate your family and friends you’re associated with and they will use all that to extort you for money.”

Virtual Kidnappings Becoming a Nationwide Crime

Virtual kidnappings used to be relatively limited to the Southwest border states. However, they have been spreading across the U.S..

The FBI issued a warning because kidnappers have widened their pool of potential victims by no longer targeting only specific individuals and Spanish speakers. The callers are also cold-calling numbers in various cities, according to the Kansas City Star.

To avoid becoming a target, the FBI advised people to take note if calls don’t come from the supposed victim’s phone, or if the callers prevent the target from speaking to the supposed victim. The FBI also advised targets to not use the supposed victim’s name, and to ask questions only the victim would know the answers to in order to confirm proof of life.