Durango woman thwarts false kidnapping extortion
Original reporting: Contacto Hoy
What happened
Contacto Hoy reported that a notary-office employee checked her son was in class and called police after callers demanded 300,000 pesos for his supposed release. She made no payment.
Reporting and context
A 65-year-old employee of a notary’s office in Durango avoided paying 300,000 pesos to callers who falsely claimed they had kidnapped her son, according to Contacto Hoy. She checked that he was in class and called 911.
The callers threatened to harm her son, a student, unless she paid the money for his supposed release. The woman initially became frightened, but took steps to establish where he was before making any payment. The reported kidnapping claim turned out to be false.
Contacto Hoy reported that police officers responded after her emergency call and confirmed that the threats were an attempt to frighten her into handing over money. The woman said she had made no deposit. Officers also explained how she could report the incident to the appropriate authorities.
The report dated the threatening calls to November 5. Its account centers on the woman’s verification that her son was attending classes and the subsequent police response, which prevented the callers’ demand from resulting in a payment.