Xul-Há Family Loses 15,000 Pesos in Virtual Extortion Scheme
Original reporting: Macropolis Quintana Roo
What happened
Unknown callers separated a mother and her two daughters from relatives, demanded money from the father and linked the calls to a Tamaulipas penitentiary, according to the state prosecutor’s office.
Reporting and context
A family from Xul-Há, Quintana Roo, lost 15,000 pesos in a virtual-extortion scheme after unknown callers claimed that a woman and her two minor daughters had been released or were in danger. According to the Quintana Roo State Prosecutor’s Office, the callers initially demanded 200,000 pesos from the children’s father, later reducing the demand to 100,000 pesos and requesting several deposits. The woman and the girls were later found near a commercial plaza in Chetumal.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of Oct. 5, 2026. Macropolis Quintana Roo reported that the callers persuaded the mother to travel from her home to Chetumal while posing as government officials, then kept her and the girls from communicating with relatives through threats and deception. The father transferred 15,000 pesos before seeking help from authorities at about 8 p.m.
Investigators and a public prosecutor went to Xul-Há to gather information, while the prosecutor’s specialized kidnapping and extortion unit coordinated the response. The agency said its inquiries linked the phone communications to the penitentiary in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas. The statement did not report any arrests or say whether the transferred money was recovered. Authorities urged residents not to send money after threatening calls and to contact law enforcement when callers claim a relative has been kidnapped.