Watch out, phone call scamming is on the rise in Yucatan

Merida, Yucatan.- With a well-established and clean operation, fake financial entities are contacting Yucatecans to first steal their banking information, and then their money, which is evidence that extortion is on the rise during this pandemic.

In recent months there has been an increase in cases of fraud by so-called financial institutions, self-financing, rental, or sale of vehicles and real estate. There are also cases of men and women who call citizens to inform them that a family member is in trouble and they must deposit a certain amount of money to rescue him or her.

They may also call to ask for the favor of helping to pay for insurance, to release an amount they have saved up by working abroad, and as soon as it is released, “the relative” will return the deposit, which obviously never happens.

Criminals take advantage of people’s economic need and their good faith to make them victims. They also quickly change their business name, physical address, or business model so that they cannot be traced and they can continue to defraud people.

This is done by taking advantage of the fact that many of those deceived do not proceed to denounce before the corresponding authorities such as Condusef, Profeco or even the Public Prosecutor’s Office; or that those who attempt quickly cease to do so because they realize that there is no one they can proceed against.

Data was requested from the State Prosecutor’s Office, but no information was provided; however, in agencies such as Condusef and Profeco, cases of card and service fraud were reported.

In Yucatan, alleged financial companies defraud for amounts ranging from one thousand to 100 thousand pesos with the promise of credit prior to payment of opening commissions and/or bail.

Once the applicant makes the deposits, the false financial institutions disappear.

Extortion is the second most common illicit behavior nationwide, after intentional homicide, and the main crime in fourteen states, mainly affecting the most vulnerable groups, which generates a social impact and increases the perception of insecurity in the country.

In 2018 alone the crime of extortion caused approximately 12 billion pesos in losses for citizens, according to the National Survey of Victimization and Perception of Public Security (Envipe), an amount close to the federal resources granted by the National System of Public Security itself to the state and municipal governments.

In 2019, an average of 24 people per day were extorted in the country, which at the end of the year totaled 8,755 victims, the highest number in the last five years.