False kidnapping story Guadalajara Reporter

http://guadalajarareporter.com/news-mainmenu-82/lake-chapala-mainmenu-84/29327-chapala-family-falls-prey-to-false-kidnapping-threat.html

Could someone post this story plz?

I assume you mean someone who is registered with the Guad Reporter and can access the whole story?

yes, please.

Here ya go......

Two Chapala teenagers were found safe and sound Saturday, July 23 after their father received a call from a stranger requesting a 250,000-peso kidnapping ransom. It turned out to be one in a series of telephone extortion scams that plagued the community over the past week.

According to the father’s statements to local law enforcement officials, the two boys were at home alone when they answered a phone call from a man who told them their dad was in danger. After the caller managed to elicit the father’s mobile number and other details about his person and whereabouts, he instructed the boys to immediately leave the house for their safety. The frightened youngsters obeyed. Minutes later the father took a call from the perpetrator telling him his sons were being held captive by the Zeta crime gang. He was told to deposit the ransom in a bank account held with the Coppel department store.

The nervous father was ready to capitulate, but not before reporting the threat to the Chapala police department. Promptly taking charge of the incident, police chief Reynol Contreras smelled a rat. It sounded like one a typical modus operandi employed by canny criminals who talk unwary victims into paying out large sums of money to protect relatives from purported danger.

The chief took the next call from the supposed kidnapper himself. After a short conversation he was convinced that the caller was faking. In the meantime, he had dispatched police patrols to comb the downtown area in search of the youngsters. They were promptly found at the local bus station and returned to the arms of their parents.

Contreras recalls that similar telephone scams became commonplace in the Chapala area over a period of several months last year. Operating nationwide, the crook callers use a variety of ploys to trap unwary victims into making payoffs to rescue family members from perilous circumstances or to collect prizes from bogus contests. The extortionists backed off following an intense public awareness campaign. Now they seemed to be reemerging.

The chief told the Reporter that he has received dozens of reports from residents citing threatening phone calls over the past week alone, including at least 10 cases of persons who have shelled out cash after falling prey to the scammers.

As a precautionary measure, he advised citizens to be especially wary of calls that appear on their phone caller-ID panels labeled as numero privado (private number) or desconocido (unknown).

“The extortionists often use Nextel or Movistar mobile phones that allow the user to hide the source number,” he says. “It is best to simply ignore such calls. If you do answer, avoid revealing names, cellular phone numbers or any other type of personal information about family members to unknown callers. If a caller should ask ‘Quien habla?’ (Who’s speaking?), turn the tables by replying ‘Con quien desea hablar?’ (Who do you wish to speak to?). Or say you’re busy and ask for the number where you can return the call. These people have clever ways of getting folks to give up confidential information.”

He says that parents would be wise to prohibit children from answering the phone. In any case, they should warn them against giving out any details about themselves or their relatives to strangers. He recommends that families develop some sort of system and code words to communicate in case a kidnapping threat or other emergency situation arises.

In a worst-case scenario, Contreras suggests that victims tell the caller that they need time to come up with the requested payoff. Then immediately try to locate the person who supposedly needs rescuing.

The chief says that scam artists can make dozens of phone calls in a single day. “If just one person falls for the ploy they’ve got it made.” He knows of no case in which telephone threats have actually been carried out. Many people, however, have been conned out of substantial amounts of hard earned pesos.

From the Guad Reporter.

Here in Canada, we don't answer the phone if we don't recognize the name or number. Looks like we will continue with that habit when we move down next year.

Yeah but in Canada it's the telemarketers trying to extort you......

CanuckBob wrote:Yeah but in Canada it's the telemarketers trying to extort you......

In Canada telemarketers don't scream into the phone from Tijuana, and call them selves "Coyotes".

You should know.

David wrote:You should know.

And you might find out if you have family, in Mexico.

David wrote:You should know.

Where's the "Like" button?????

arbon wrote:

David wrote:You should know.

And you might find out if you have family, in Mexico.

Put a cork in it.

martygraw wrote:Put a cork in it.

Again I ask: Where's the "Like" button?????

I don't see the humor in it. Must be a canadian thing?

Chapalagringa wrote:I don't see the humor in it. Must be a canadian thing?

Huh????

If that was addressed to me, I ain't Canadian -- I'm a native Texan.

And if you don't see humor in those posts that make me laugh -- well, seek counseling, Darlin'! (Hint: The best way to defuse a pain-in-the-derriere is not to take his remarks seriously!)

I don't take any of it seriously...I'm blonde...I don't get it.

All I'm reading is that it's 3 against 1. Now I'm making myself laugh. Do I need to relive 5th grade and beat up the bully? Not that #1 isn't standing on his own. Maybe these are jokes before my time.

Chapalagringa wrote: I don't take any of it seriously...I'm blonde...I don't get it.

All I'm reading is that it's 3 against 1. Now I'm making myself laugh. Do I need to relive 5th grade and beat up the bully? Not that #1 isn't standing on his own. Maybe these are jokes before my time.

I'm lost.

I don't have a clue regarding what you're trying to communicate with the "jokes" comment.

Maybe some of the posts have been deleted; maybe I've had too much to drink; maybe you're sending vibes from another planet. Maybe it's just that you're blonde.

I'm lost.

Listen...you've got to put the drink down and straighten me out because I don't get it. What's so funny about coyotes in Canada, you should know, put a cork in it and LOL??? If these aren't Canadian jokes or bullying, what is it? Yes, I'm blonde and I'm yankin yur chain but I'm young and dunt get it. Is there a conspiracy against the bird? And why would you, Mr. Lehrer-dariar, have craw with arbon? Don't you have enough with the old biddy down stairs? lol

LOL.....I'm Canadian AND blonde....I think we all got lost after the comment comparing Canadian telemarketers with extortionists, which is a legitimate comparison at times. However, not to be taken lightly, especially with one who has actually experienced it.....the extortion, I mean, not being blonde....

I don't "have craw" with arbon (whatever that means).

I just think it's funny that others find his (her) off-topic and tangential remarks as ludicrous as I do.

I haven't addressed him (her) or his (her) posts at all; I just laugh when others respond and let him (her) know that those posts are ridiculous.

If these are Canadian jokes or blonde jokes (as you intimate), it's no wonder I'm lost. I can't relate.

What I've heard:
Arbon is a Canadian man who may have once spent time in Mexico. For some reason, he likes to dip his beak into Mexico forums. Go figure.

gringal wrote:What I've heard:
Arbon is a Canadian man who may have once spent time in Mexico. For some reason, he likes to dip his beak into Mexico forums. Go figure.

Thank God for level heads!

If you mean by "... likes to dip his beak into Mexican forums" that he posts irrelevant and nonsensical comments, I can feel better now. What I've read from him makes absolutely no sense at all. That why I enjoyed the retorts -- not because I was inebriated.

Well.........now ya know. He used to visit Sparks old board more frequently. His wife, Wendy, has a "unique" writing style, but I'l bet she's better looking.

gringal wrote:What I've heard:
Arbon is a Canadian man who may have once spent time in Mexico. For some reason, he likes to dip his beak into Mexico forums. Go figure.

ok, I'll spill the beans. Waaaay back in the day, Willie Brandt, told me that arbon lived in a trailer off the coast in Washington. Was a wanna be expat that had come down for visits but had to return stateside and can't get back. Said he didn't say much, was a retired english teacher and tried teaching him English. Omg, I can't believe I remembered that. So funny!!! bahaha I think arbon is a bird. ;) doesn't live in Canada, nor was Canadian that I recall, nor lived in a trailer on the coast of Washington but lives in Mexico. Not too far from where we live actually. His posts are funny.

His wife Wendy??? huh? lol do i not really know who arbon is??? Maybe Willie was right! how embarrassing! *blush*

Now Gringal...what the heck is that? I always pronounce it gring-gal. I've wondered if it means gringa initial L for lousie or linda? Was the L a typo that stuck? As far as I know, she's a nice lady that lives somewhere around here by the lake.

Since I'm on a roll. Lehrer keeps no secrets. We know what he looks like and not only have pictures him in his profile but of where he's gonna soak his bum if he wants too ;) Open book!

@ Chapalagringa - You don't mean to tell us that you know the former chancellor of Germany??? My best claim to fame is having met Bill Clinton and Mike Huckabee!

You are correct about the "open book" -- I don't have anything to hide. Well, maybe a few porno sites and indiscretions. But nothing criminal. Or, perhaps.

I've wondered where the moniker "gringal" originated as well. I know that she's an artist and has her own website -- she sets up her wares on occasion. I've tried various interpretations: grin gal or gringa l but I can't decide. However, I judge her to be very intelligent, and I (being myself very intelligent) agree with her probably 95% of the time -- if not more. I continue to attempt persuading her to come over to my side on the other 5%.


P.S. - By "bird" do you mean "snowbird"? I'm in the dark again.

:) Arbon sounds like a bird I mean. No, he's no snowbird. Nuf said about that. If he wants ya ta know, he'll tell ya hisself.

I'm glad you can be an open book Lehrer. Very freeing I'm sure.

hmm, and gringal has a website? Wonder what that would be, I'd like to see? grin gal, I like that! *GRIN!*