Brownsville Officials Warn Against Online Schemes
In recent days, Brownsville has seen a rise in criminal investigations stemming from online meetings. Brownsville officials are now urging the public to exercise caution to avoid falling victim to these schemes.
Aggravated Robbery Case
Authorities have charged Ernesto Emmanuel Jimenez and three others with aggravated robbery following an online meetup gone wrong. According to investigators, the victim was lured via a dating app to a location where he was robbed by four individuals.
“He went to that location to meet up with that person, he got robbed by four individuals,” said Abril Luna, a spokesperson for the Brownsville Police Department.
Swatting Incident
In another incident on July 21st, personal information shared through a video game was used to make a swatting call. Swatting is a criminal harassment tactic where a false report is made to emergency services to send a SWAT team to the victim’s location.
“He provided his personal information and through that, the gamer was able to use that information to make the email. It’s not a prank, it’s criminal harassment. But they did that in order to swat the victim’s house. In that case, the victim was a child,” Luna explained.
Public Warnings
Officials are warning residents about the consequences of sharing personal details online. They emphasize the importance of protecting personal information such as home addresses, phone numbers, and birth dates, which can be used to commit crimes against victims.
“So it’s important that you let somebody know where you’re going, where you’re going to meet up with, especially if you’re going to be meeting them for the first time. It’s also important that, you know, if you can, try to meet them beforehand through FaceTime or be able to see who you’re talking to,” Luna advised.
Ongoing Investigations
The individuals involved in both cases are facing charges, and the FBI is investigating the swatting incident. Brownsville authorities continue to raise awareness and educate the public on safe online practices to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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