:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(740x570:742x572)/Tennis-ball-racket-and-court-ground-103124-5989a0d44dce4bc5aeb9cd1d59783b2d.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1 "What happened after the children’s tennis team became victims of ‘virtual’ kidnapping")
A team of young tennis players – all underage – and their coach were victims of a virtual kidnapping before a junior tennis tournament in Mexico.
On Wednesday, October 30, the Mexican Tennis Federation announced that an upcoming junior tournament to be held in the central state of Guanajuato was canceled “after ten players and a coach were deprived of their liberty this morning,” according to a statement shared by the organization. on X (formerly Twitter).
According to the message translated from Spanish, the Federation said the cancellation was “due to the unfortunate events that took place”, claiming that the players and their coach “were extorted”.
The FBI defines virtual kidnapping as a fraudulent scheme where the scammer pretends to hold someone for ransom in order to extort money from loved ones who believe they are in danger.
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Federal authorities define the victims in these cases as people who have been scammed into paying quick ransoms to freed loved ones who are not actually in danger. Such schemes have been going on for at least two decades, according to the FBI, which has traced a number of virtual kidnappings in the US to Mexican captives that specifically targeted Spanish speakers.
According to the Associated pressthe Juniors 30 tournament – the organization’s lowest-ranked tournament – was scheduled to be played in IrapuatoGuanajuato, a city located on a river of the same name and known for its agriculture and livestock farming.
After being “informed of the events,” the Federation said it “worked in coordination with the competent authorities, who have indicated that what happened does not represent a problem of public insecurity.”
According to the press release, the Federation added that both players and coach – from the small neighboring state of Querétaro – have since returned home and are said to be “in good health”.