disturbing message from craigslist- Any validity?

winterpegman · Post by **winterpegman** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 9:04 pm

Once again my "bs detector" rings true.

JROJEFF · Post by **JROJEFF** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 12:42 am

It was 1 year ago when I had to give up some cash ,maybe it is safe to take a late night swim after andales ,just kidding

glacierroasters · Post by **glacierroasters** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 10:03 pm

winterpegman wrote:Once again my "bs detector" rings true.

sounds like the electronic roundfile button needs to be tested, since it hasn't went off in response to the bs detector.

I'm with you smells like crap...looks like crap...it usually is.

kingslair · Post by **kingslair** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:21 pm

Just a quick note: This one little incident happened in Bucerias, not PV, but presumably it's close enough ...

Late one night I was in my casita, all alone except for my trusty canine companion, when someone who was later found to be high on cocaine bashed in a window and attempted to get in through the bars. He stood outdoors, yelling and cursing, until police turned up at the behest of neighbours. The guy was hauled off to jail for two days, but never prosecuted.

About a week later, two police officers came to the casita and told me that they would require $4,000 (pesos) to "keep me safe". I naturally refused. Nothing untoward ever happened following their visit.

As another poster said, this is simply "mordida". It is a common problem because of low police wages and poor leadership. Refuse, and there's nothing the officers can do. However, IMO if they DO help you in some way, it's always kind to help them too, so I have been known to take a small lunch down to the detachment office and watch their eyes light up for Comida Gringa!!!

Jennybean · Post by **Jennybean** » Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:36 pm

That's a very nice thing to do, good on you. A great example of a way to give back without having to do so by mordida.

oneistwo · Post by **oneistwo** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 3:38 pm

Applause to Paul Crist for doing the legwork. Some of my friends here in Pa have crossed me off their e-mail lists because I actually check things, and not just on Snopes. Just the other day I called my contact at the NJ State Police to check something out that turned out to be bogus. But that was just one phone call; Paul did the real thing.

(OK moderators, now you can shut down this thread)

Fast Eddie · Post by **Fast Eddie** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:11 pm

My wife and I will be in P.V. for a week beginning next Friday (Feb 29th) for our first visit and I too saw the Craigs List posting (under "vacation Rentals") and was concerned. Thank you to everyone for sharing their time to address this posting. I am looking forward even more now to our visit.

oldskool55 · Post by **oldskool55** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 4:58 pm

This my friend is total "misinformation" saying it politely. I feel safer in PVR than I do in the USA and the policia in PVR are there to make sure your stay is safe and pleasant. I have a much better opinion of them than the police in Tulsa,I even got a policia to pose for a picture just try this back home.So travel assured and please end this drivel.

PV Patty · Post by **PV Patty** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:31 pm

My Canadian friend that lives in P. V. has been robbed 3 times by the police ... so now he wears really grubby cloths, no watch (or its a very cheap one) and no expensive jewelery and never has more the 500 pesos on him. These robberies have all happened late at night when the streets are quite.

Ufischer · Post by **Ufischer** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 2:52 am

The story is kinda credible. Something somewhat similar (but without the machine guns) happened to me when I was driving with my wife in a rental car from PV to the next town south where we were staying at an all-inclusive (Decameron) in January 2006. There was a police checkpoint between Jalisco and another state (I've forgotten the details, but it should be easy enough to dig up). As we crawled up to the checkpoint at about 10km/hr because a lineup was beginning to form, two cops in a pickup truck stopped me and claimed I was going over the posted 40km speed limit. There was no such speed limit sign and I was going slower than that by the time they stopped me in any case. I speak a bit of Spanish, so I said I wanted to see the sign. The cop said, no, take my word for it, it is there. We went back and forth a few times and eventually I said I would have to discuss this with my friend Vincente Fox (pres. of Mexico at the time -- no, I don't know the guy... it was a bluff

). As the discussion progressed, the 2nd cop grew increasingly nervous. The first cop (who was doing all the talking) drew his pistol and took out the clip to show me it had bullets, then put it back in his holster. I persisted, and eventually, they apologized saying they didn't know we were tourists.. this despite my not that great Spanish and my wife with her camera around her neck.. I thanked him, and we went on our way. I posted a report in the local English language paper at the Decameron and found there another letter written by a woman who had had a similar experience a couple of months earlier where the cops took her driver's license and she had to pay $US 300 to get it back. On the other side of the coin, we just got back from a trip to Mazatlan where my rental car was smashed by a city bus which was running a red light (no injuries but the front end of the car was pretty much a write-off). This time there was a cop nearby who saw the whole thing and backed up my report. He was exceedingly helpful. Between his limited English and my limited Spanish we had no problem communicating and he got me out of there in about 2 hours after I filled in forms and reports with the insurance agents for the rental company and the bus company. No attempt at a shakedown there. I gave the cop about 70 pesos which is what I had on me at the time and he seemed kinda surprised to be getting it. I definitely wouldn't paint all the police in Mexico with the corruption brush. Maybe there have been some more successful efforts to clean up the bad apples since my last trip. Anyway, Mazatlan was a blast. We're still pondering the possibility of buying a vacation pad there. I suspect it does help to try to learn a bit of the local language. English ability does vary from excellent in the real estate agents to non-existent in some of the street vendors and even bus drivers. Generally, everyone dealing with the public is very friendly and very happy to get your business. I have no complaints with my experience in Mazatlan, and PV was also very enjoyable despite the attempted shakedown. I blundered around a bit in the back roads around PV with the rental car by myself and at no time felt threatened.

twah · Post by **twah** » Sat Jan 30, 2010 5:51 am

In one case I know it has happened because the person told me it did. He was walking home late at night to his Copa de Oro condo. He said the police stopped him and frisked him and took everything out of his pockets and wallet. I would estimate he is in his 70s. They laid his money on the hood of the police car and all the contents and pretended to count the money. They put his stuff all together again he thought and handed it back to him. The next morning he noticed his money was gone.

ronald · Post by **ronald** » Sun Jan 31, 2010 3:31 am

That's not a bad excuse for blowing all the money when stumbling home from a night of drinking... Think I'll use it on the wife next time I'm in a bind.

linmencra16 · Post by **linmencra16** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 6:10 pm

Since my husband and myself were/are planning to retire within a few years to his homeland, we need any info you might have.
Two different family members in Mexico have received recently telephone calls. The callers say this is your (family member) If the person responds at all, the caller/s proceed to say that they know where you live and they proceed to threaten all members of the family. We think they are going through the phone books and call the telephone numbers listed?
THe callers demand monies in exchange for not killing your family.

If the newspapers there or anyone has any info, Please please let us know what if anything the gov, police can do regarding these threats.

Allinthecards · Post by **Allinthecards** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:07 am

I worked, until last week in old town and have had many dealings there, I actually have not met anyone that this happened too. And of the two letters to the editor in the trbune that I did read, I objected to Aliane printing one because they were not there, and supposedly it happened to their friend.

Allinthecards · Post by **Allinthecards** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 3:18 am

[quote="linmencra16"]
Since my husband and myself were/are planning to retire within a few years to his homeland, we need any info you might have.
Two different family members in Mexico have received recently telephone calls. The callers say this is your (family member) If the person responds at all, the caller/s proceed to say that they know where you live and they proceed to threaten all members of the family. We think they are going through the phone books and call the telephone numbers listed?
THe callers demand monies in exchange for not killing your family.

If the newspapers there or anyone has any info, Please please let us know what if anything the gov, police can do regarding these threats.
[/

actually I do know someone that this happened too, and it was not true she called and checked and her daughter was fine. But they do not call houses, they randomly dial cell phones, and it could happen anywhere. If it were real they always would offer proof. It is very safe here, the bad areas are if you do or get involved in bad things, then...keep in mind it is not because the police choose not to do anything, it is simply not as well Fu ded or with the same tech toys as the states. If you safe looking for a nice peaceful retirement come and enjoy it. The media says stay out of Mexico, but if you read the articals it says stay out of the boarder towns such as tj and juarez which have always been violent.

katnsocal · Post by **katnsocal** » Thu Mar 04, 2010 7:29 am

Two different family members in Mexico have received recently telephone calls. The callers say this is your (family member) If the person responds at all, the caller/s proceed to say that they know where you live and they proceed to threaten all members of the family. We think they are going through the phone books and call the telephone numbers listed?
THe callers demand monies in exchange for not killing your family.

If the newspapers there or anyone has any info, Please please let us know what if anything the gov, police can do regarding these threats.

Do the family members live in Puerto Vallarta? One would think that the family members would know what their govt, local police could do about it. The locals know how to handle things that are happening in their communities, what works in Jalisco might not work in Nayarit. I am just trying to understand why you posted this on a Puerto Vallarta tourist forum, unless you are asking how to specifically handle it in Puerto Vallarta? Even then, if it is happening to Mexican citizens, non-citizen ex-pats living in PV would probably not know the answers your are looking for.

linmencra16 · Post by **linmencra16** » Tue Mar 16, 2010 1:59 pm

Thanks for the reply. I understand that the expats might not hear of this as it happens to citizens of Mexico. I couldn't get any local newspaper info and thought that this website might help. You did, as no one seems to have heard of any such goings on in PVR itself. Yes, they are on the other side of the river from PVR Nayarit. Its so close only a bridge apart. No the locals don't go to the police to get it handled, they just shutter. We sent them a new telephone system for their landline (no cell is involved in this threat). So they have a mailbox to check and we have set up certain times so they know its us and can answer. We believe the perpatrators just called numbers from the telephone book listings. Thanks again sooo sorry if I posted on the wrong web just didn't know where to get any info on this problem. You are all so great and can't wait to get to PVR.

katnsocal · Post by **katnsocal** » Wed Mar 17, 2010 1:28 am

I don't think all locals just shutter and live in fear if something happens in their town, at least not the locals I know. They know where to go and who to ask about it and they do. I am talking about at least 8 different local families that I know that have handled things that happen to them. What I do know is that a lot of the older generation has a tendency to live in fear more than the younger generation which tends to speak up and encourage change.

I too think it is something akin to the prank calls we used to do as kids, just dial any random #, unless they address them by name and name the person to be kidnapped. If the person supposedly targeted is O.K. and it is a one-time incident it sounds more like random calling as you said. Given the large families in Mexico it is pretty much assumed the family being called would have a son or daughter. Unless there are incidents where the threats were carried out then I would forget it and go on with my life instead of being afraid to answer the phone. The only way I would continue to be concerned would be if I was involved in something that was not on the up and up that would give me reason to believe the threats would be carried out.

I know having people call at a certain time and not answering the phone and listening to the message may give someone more peace of mind but whoever it is that called can still leave that same message on the voice mail and if they were really serious and had kidnapped a family member of mine I would want to answer that call not listen to it on voice mail and then sit there waiting/hoping/worrying that they would call back. That would be like pure torture to me, just waiting for that phone to ring again.

Unfortunately most of the Mexican newspapers are not on line and it is doubtful you would get any information out of the English papers that are geared towards tourism, they tend to just want to paint a "nothing ever happens in paradise picture". PV is just like any city in any country and stuff happens sometimes. JMHO

edited for re-wording.

linmencra16 · Post by **linmencra16** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 4:24 pm

Your reply gives me food for thought. I will definitely ask my husband more as they have a huge family extending into PVR. Very interesting very interesting indeed. Thanks again for your input. I just knew I could count on you to put a new light on this. Yes, they are very very old school in those particular homes, but the rest. ....He will be calling his sister in a few so he will ask more.....Thanks again

SamTHorn · Post by **SamTHorn** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 6:20 pm

I'm on the fence with this one.

The same thing happened to us in Mexico, so I am curious about foreign authorities....

disturbing message from craigslist- Any validity?

Comida

RE: Personal Saftey in PVR

Police shakedown attempt

Need your advice re:Growing Telephone Extortion threats

Police

Re: Need your advice re:Growing Telephone Extortion threats

Thanks again