Avoid extortion! How does the “cross call” operate?

With the aim of preventing fraud, the SSC-CdMx shared some recommendations to protect your privacy and avoid being a victim of extortion.

Mexico City, October 16 (However).- The Secretariat of Citizen Security of Mexico City (SSC-CdMx) launched a new cyber alert that warns about a modality of fraud that combines emotional manipulation, data theft and a supposed emergency: the “cross call”also known as “virtual kidnapping”.

This strategy, designed to generate confusion and fear, relies on public information extracted from social networks and psychological tactics that seek to extort victims in real time. How does this scheme operate? What signs should you identify? And how can you protect yourself before it’s too late? The Cyber ​​Police of the SSC-CdMx responds.

What is “cross calling”?

“Cross calling” is a form of digital extortion in which criminals, from an unknown number, simulate an emergency situation, such as the kidnapping of a family member, while keeping the victim online, preventing them from verifying the information.

The most serious thing: to achieve this, they use personal data obtained from social networks to make everything seem real and thus obtain immediate deposits or transfers.

#CyberAlert | The #CyberPolice alerts citizens of a type of fraud known as #Extortion cross-call or denominated #VirtualKidnappingwhich is a carefully planned psychological strategy, whose objective is to take advantage of fear and… pic.twitter.com/VU3NqmEYvl

— SSC CDMX (@SSC_CDMX) October 16, 2025

What are the warning signs that you should take into account?

• You receive a call from an unknown number.
• You hear altered voices that simulate an urgent situation.
• They ask you not to hang up or contact anyone.
• They mention names, places or data that you yourself have published on networks.
• They request money immediately, under threat.

How to protect yourself?

The best way to avoid this type of extortion is to take care of what you share and be alert to suspicious calls. However, here is a list with basic recommendations:

• Do not expose personal information on social networks.
• Verify the identity of the person contacting you before responding.
• Be wary of unknown numbers or insistent calls.
• Use strong and unique passwords on your digital accounts.
• Set the privacy of your profiles so that only your contacts see your information.