Extortion Up in Mexico, But There's an App for That Mexico News Daily
go to original March 8, 2016

Aplicación #NoMasExtorsiones (Consejo Ciudadano)

Telephone extortion has skyrocketed by 70% in four years but a smartphone app that offers a straightforward reporting process could help thwart the crime.

According to data compiled by the Citizens’ Council of Mexico City, 1,169 successful phone extortions were registered in 2012. Last year, the figure soared 70% to 2,022.

Extortion, in all its variations, is the second most frequent crime in Mexico, said the Citizens’ Council, quoting data from the National Statistics Institute (INEGI).

Mexico City is where the most cases are reported, followed by the State of México, Morelos, Hidalgo, Jalisco, Veracruz, Puebla, Michoacàn, Guanajuato and Querétaro.

The most common type of extortion consists of a phone call in which criminals threaten to kidnap a close relative. Threats from alleged members of criminal groups such as Los Zetas come second in frequency.

In response, the Citizens’ Council created an Android smartphone app called No Más Extorsiones (No More Extortions), described in the Google Play Store as “a free and efficient tool to avoid becoming a victim of extortion.”

Read the rest at Mexico News Daily

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