Michoacán authorities warn of virtual kidnapping scheme

The Michoacán Secretariat of Public Security (SSP) has issued an alert regarding a new modus operandi used for extortion and virtual kidnapping. Criminals are reportedly intentionally abandoning mid-range mobile phones in various neighborhoods to be found by citizens.

Once a person finds a device, a person claiming to be the owner contacts them, offering a reward for its return and proposing a meeting point. During these encounters, victims may be intimidated or manipulated into revealing personal and family information. Criminals then use this data to call family members, simulating a kidnapping and demanding money deposits.

The SSP advises the public not to meet strangers to return found devices, to report found items to authorities instead, and to avoid sharing personal data with unknown callers. In the event of such a call, officials recommend hanging up immediately, verifying a relative's location through other means, and reporting the incident via the 089 anonymous line or the 9-1-1 Michoacán mobile app.