Mexican Scammers Threaten Elderly Belizean Woman

Belize’s Ambassador to Mexico, Oscar Arnold, is warning Belizeans living in or visiting Mexico to be cautious of elaborate phone scams that use threats of violence to extort money, following a recent virtual kidnapping scam.

Speaking from Mexico City, Arnold recounted another case where an elderly Belizean woman received threatening calls over WhatsApp after attending a dentist appointment in Chetumal. Scammers told her life was at risk unless money was paid. 

“Putting myself in their situation, I can understand why people would be scared and their first intention would be to try to pay to get out of any situation,” Arnold said.

The ambassador explained that criminals often obtain phone numbers through routine activities such as filling out forms at clinics or making online purchases. Once they have the number, they call victims and demand small ransom payments. “If you deposit a thousand pesos, they’re ahead of the game because that’s a thousand pesos they did not have prior to the call,” Arnold noted.

He added that Mexican authorities are aware of these scams and have cybercrime units capable of tracing accounts used for deposits. However, he stressed that victims must file formal complaints for police to act. “If no formal report is done, then there’s very little that the authorities can do,” Arnold said.

The ambassador urged Belizeans not to answer calls from unknown numbers while travelling, especially when using local SIM cards purchased in Mexico. He added that perpetrators often exploit fear, sometimes even pretending to be linked to cartels.

Arnold compared the scheme to past phishing scams in Belize, where criminals used fake lottery emails to steal banking information. “It’s similar to that, with the exception that now they’re using the threat of physical harm,” he said.