Twitter, <a title=\"instagram.com\" href=https://www.scamadviser.com/"instagram.com/">Instagram, <a title=\"linkedin.com\" href=https://www.scamadviser.com/"linkedin.com/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LinkedIn</a>, <a title=\"pinterest.com\" href=https://www.scamadviser.com/"pinterest.com/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pinterest</a> or any other social media platform, this is practically free information. If this move doesn't shock you to comply, they take it up a notch.</p>\r\n<h3>Organized Gang</h3>\r\n<p>You receive a message with the threat that if you don’t send money they will<strong> \"deal with you</strong>.\"</p>\r\n<p>The sender then claims to be a gang member of a <strong>well-known drug cartel.</strong> Then some go as far as sending you photos of mutilated body parts with threats of sending men to <strong>“deal with you”</strong>or saying<strong> “your family may get hurt” </strong></p>\r\n<p> </p>\r\n<p> </p>"}},{"_template":"Articles\\ImageHalf","_identifier":"block-19762","data":{"imageLeft":"https://whitelabel-manager-production.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/thumbs/screenshot-2021-06-14-at-125808-99644.png_900x.png","imageRight":null}},{"_template":"Articles\\Text","_identifier":"block-19765","data":{"text":"<h3>Pay to Live</h3>\r\n<p>Their message is pay or be targeted. Movies portray stories of just how ruthless gangs can be in dealing with people who fail to pay. So, the scammers are <strong>banking on your fear</strong> of these <strong>fictional movie gangs</strong> to scare you to death. Do not fall for their scams.</p>\r\n<p> </p>"}},{"_template":"Articles\\ImageHalf","_identifier":"block-19777","data":{"imageLeft":"https://whitelabel-manager-production.ams3.digitaloceanspaces.com/thumbs/screenshot-2021-06-14-at-125540-fe097.png_900x.png","imageRight":null}},{"_template":"Articles\\Text","_identifier":"block-19780","data":{"text":"<h2>Protect Yourself From Cartel Scams</h2>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>DO NOT engage in any conversation with the sender via email, text, or any other way.Block the sender immediately.</li>\r\n<li>REPORT to the police immediately who will help you identify the scam pattern and direct you on what to do.</li>\r\n<li>SEND the scam email to the <a title=\"https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts\" href=https://www.scamadviser.com/"https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/scam-alerts/" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">FTC</a> to be flagged as a<strong> scam alert</strong> if you are in the <strong>USA</strong>.</li>\r\n</ul>"}},{"_template":"Articles\\Player","_identifier":"block-19827","data":{"url":"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jes1WTv1ke0"}}],"sidebarBlocks":[{"_template":"Small\\Content\\Cta","_identifier":"block-157084","data":{"title":"Report a Scam!","consumer":null,"description":"Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!","image":"https://files.scamadviser.com/thumbs/tell-your-story-8910e.png_200x200.png","button":"Report a Scam!","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/leave-review"}},{"_template":"Small\\Content\\Taxonomy","_identifier":"block-157123","data":{"title":"Scam Categories","taxonomies":[{"id":7,"name":"Scam Alerts (816)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/scam-alerts"},{"id":6,"name":"Scam Trends (283)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/scam-trends"},{"id":8,"name":"Global Scam Country Guide (44)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/global-scam-country-guide"},{"id":3,"name":"News about Scamadviser (41)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/news-about-scamadviser"},{"id":5,"name":"Reliable Sites (30)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/reliable-sites"},{"id":2,"name":"Research & Reports (26)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/research-reports"},{"id":1,"name":"Tips & Support (24)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/tips-support"},{"id":4,"name":"Advice for Companies (2)","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/advice-for-companies"}]}},{"_template":"Default\\Content\\Heading","_identifier":"block-59407","data":{"align":"","text":"Help & Info","size":"large"}},{"_template":"Default\\Content\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157795","data":{"articles":[{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157796","data":{"title":"Tips & Support","link":"","icon":"fa-lightbulb-o","renderAsInertiaLink":false}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157824","data":{"title":"Scam Alerts","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/scam-alerts","icon":"fa-exclamation-triangle","renderAsInertiaLink":true}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157839","data":{"title":"Learn about Scams","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/scam-trends","icon":"fa-tags","renderAsInertiaLink":true}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157854","data":{"title":"Reliable Sites","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/reliable-sites","icon":"fa-check-circle","renderAsInertiaLink":true}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157869","data":{"title":"Advice for Companies","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/advice-for-companies","icon":"fa-comment","renderAsInertiaLink":true}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-157884","data":{"title":"Research & Reports","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/research-reports","icon":"fa-search","renderAsInertiaLink":true}},{"_template":"Home\\Articles","_identifier":"block-161131","data":{"title":"Global Scam Country Guide","link":"https://www.scamadviser.com/global-scam-country-guide","icon":"fa-globe","renderAsInertiaLink":false}}],"buttonText":"See all","buttonLink":"https://www.scamadviser.com/help-info"}},{"_template":"Default\\Content\\Heading","_identifier":"block-59517","data":{"align":"","text":"Popular Stories","size":"large"}},{"_template":"Default\\Content\\Blogs","_identifier":"block-59530","data":{"items":[{"id":13,"title":"How to Recognize a Scam Website","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/how-to-recognize-a-scam-website","excerpt":"As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam.\r\nCommon Sense: Too Good To Be True\r\nWhen looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact.\r\nIf an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website.\r\nCheck Out the Social Media Links\r\nSocial media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu","buttonText":"Read more","renderAsInertiaLink":true},{"id":4,"title":"How Do I Get Money Back From a Scammer?","url":"https://www.scamadviser.com/articles/how-do-i-get-money-back-from-a-scammer","excerpt":"So the worst has come to pass - you realise you parted with your money too fast, and the site you used was a scam - what now? Well first of all, don’t despair!!\r\nIf you think you have been scammed, the first port of call when having an issue is to simply ask for a refund. This is the first and easiest step to determine whether you are dealing with a genuine company or scammers. Sadly, getting your money back from a scammer is not as simple as just asking. \r\nIf you are indeed dealing with scammers, the procedure (and chance) of getting your money back varies depending on the payment method you used.\r\n\r\nPayPal\r\nDebit card/Credit card\r\nBank transfer\r\nWire transfer\r\nGoogle Pay\r\nBitcoin\r\n\r\nPayPal\r\nIf you used PayPal, you have a strong chance of getting your money back if you were scammed. On their website, you can file a dispute within 180 calendar days of your purchase.\r\nConditions to file a dispute:\r\n\r\nThe simplest situation is that you ordered from an online store and it has not arrived. In this case this is what PayPal states: \"If your order never shows up and the seller can't provide proof of shipment or delivery, you'll get a full refund. It's that simple.\"\r\nThe scammer has sent you a completely different item. For example, you ordered a PlayStation 4, but instead received only a Playstation controller. \r\nThe condition of the item was misrepresented on the product page. This could be the ","buttonText":"Read more","renderAsInertiaLink":true}]}}],"meta":{"title":"Drug Cartel & Hitman Scams | Scamadviser","description":"Drug cartel scams are intended to scare you to send money to scammers. DO NOT respond to threatening texts. 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What would you do if you received a text with a death threat? What if the sender claimed to be in a known drug cartel? You would be human to be scared for your life and report to the authorities immediately or even prepare to send the money they want.
However, you may simply be the target of a cartel scam or a hitman scam as others dramatically put it.
Unfortunately, some cammers will go to any length to run their tricks. They will use a death threat if they believe it may get them the money and so pretend to be drug cartel members. Scammers are always after your money; never forget that. Their ultimate goal is a con that pays!
Reports show that this cartel scam is initiated via threatening texts, emails, or calls.
How Cartel Scams Work
Threat of life
You get a text or email threatening your life or that of your family. The text claims you have wasted the time of an escort and her manager wants compensation.
Police in the US flagged such a scam and informed the public to ignore the messages. It appears that this scam follows a very specific pattern:
Your Name, Age, and Address
What makes this scam scary is the fact that the scammers prove to know who you are and where you live by sending you your name, age, and address. But this is information available in the public domain.
If you are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest or any other social media platform, this is practically free information. If this move doesn't shock you to comply, they take it up a notch.
Organized Gang
You receive a message with the threat that if you don’t send money they will "deal with you."
The sender then claims to be a gang member of a well-known drug cartel. Then some go as far as sending you photos of mutilated body parts with threats of sending men to “deal with you”or saying “your family may get hurt”
Pay to Live
Their message is pay or be targeted. Movies portray stories of just how ruthless gangs can be in dealing with people who fail to pay. So, the scammers are banking on your fear of these fictional movie gangs to scare you to death. Do not fall for their scams.
Protect Yourself From Cartel Scams
DO NOT engage in any conversation with the sender via email, text, or any other way.Block the sender immediately.
REPORT to the police immediately who will help you identify the scam pattern and direct you on what to do.
SEND the scam email to the FTC to be flagged as a scam alert if you are in the USA.
Report a Scam!
Have you fallen for a hoax, bought a fake product? Report the site and warn others!
As the influence of the internet rises, so does the prevalence of online scams. There are fraudsters making all kinds of claims to trap victims online - from fake investment opportunities to online stores - and the internet allows them to operate from any part of the world with anonymity. The ability to spot online scams is an important skill to have as the virtual world is increasingly becoming a part of every facet of our lives. The below tips will help you identify the signs which can indicate that a website could be a scam.
Common Sense: Too Good To Be True
When looking for goods online, a great deal can be very enticing. A Gucci bag or a new iPhone for half the price? Who wouldn’t want to grab such a deal? Scammers know this too and try to take advantage of the fact.
If an online deal looks too good to be true, think twice and double-check things. The easiest way to do this is to simply check out the same product at competing websites (that you trust). If the difference in prices is huge, it might be better to double-check the rest of the website.
Check Out the Social Media Links
Social media is a core part of ecommerce businesses these days and consumers often expect online shops to have a social media presence. Scammers know this and often insert logos of social media sites on their websites. Scratching beneath the surface often reveals this fu
So the worst has come to pass - you realise you parted with your money too fast, and the site you used was a scam - what now? Well first of all, don’t despair!!
If you think you have been scammed, the first port of call when having an issue is to simply ask for a refund. This is the first and easiest step to determine whether you are dealing with a genuine company or scammers. Sadly, getting your money back from a scammer is not as simple as just asking.
If you are indeed dealing with scammers, the procedure (and chance) of getting your money back varies depending on the payment method you used.
PayPal
Debit card/Credit card
Bank transfer
Wire transfer
Google Pay
Bitcoin
PayPal
If you used PayPal, you have a strong chance of getting your money back if you were scammed. On their website, you can file a dispute within 180 calendar days of your purchase.
Conditions to file a dispute:
The simplest situation is that you ordered from an online store and it has not arrived. In this case this is what PayPal states: "If your order never shows up and the seller can't provide proof of shipment or delivery, you'll get a full refund. It's that simple."
The scammer has sent you a completely different item. For example, you ordered a PlayStation 4, but instead received only a Playstation controller.
The condition of the item was misrepresented on the product page. This could be the