Mexico City, Mexico — The undersecretary of Public Security of the Federal Government has reported on extortion apps being used in Mexico. Ricardo Mejia says the government’s Cybercrime Division is dealing with more than 300 complaints against 660 apps that have been identified for their extortion practices.
This new form of digital theft and extortion has been identified across the country by people who use the apps for immediate money loans. Mejia says the apps offer immediate and easily accessible loans with very few requirements, however, the interest they charge changes without notice until they become unpayable.
According to the Citizen Council for Security and Justice of Mexico City, 36 percent of the victims using the apps were threatened with collecting the debt from their contacts, while 19 percent were threatened with defamation and 18 percent were warned or insulted.
The financial sector that offers services through the Internet suffers the consequences of “debt mounts” since they supplant the identity of duly constituted institutions and also generate mistrust and little certainty in users.
According to the cyber police of the Secretary of Citizen Security (SSC) of Mexico City, these apocryphal companies offer credit without credit checks and ask for an advance deposit ranging from 700 to 1,200 peso to release the loan money.
The CDMX cyber police pointed out that the offer of loans through social networks and without requirements is part of the modus operandi of the scammers, in addition to their subsequent demand for the payment of the debt, where they resort to intimidation or extortion and charging excessive interest.
