Extortion & Threats
Criminal defense and victim representation for extortion, blackmail, ransomware, and threats under Colombian law.
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Extortion (extorsión) under Article 244 of Colombia's Penal Code is a serious crime carrying 192 to 288 months imprisonment (16 to 24 years) and fines of 800 to 1,800 monthly minimum wages. The offense covers any act of coercing someone through threats or intimidation to do something, refrain from doing something, or hand over money or property. Threats (amenazas) under Article 347 carry 48 to 108 months imprisonment. Both offenses have seen increasing digital variants — ransomware attacks, sextortion, online blackmail, and threatening messages through social media or messaging apps.
Foreigners and expats in Medellín can be particularly vulnerable to extortion schemes, including demands for money to avoid false criminal complaints, threats of exposure of personal information, ransomware attacks on business systems, and physical threats related to business disputes or personal relationships. Colombia's anti-extortion units (GAULA) within the police and military actively investigate these cases, but navigating the process requires legal guidance.
At Legal Diligence Medellín, we provide urgent legal response for extortion and threat victims, coordinating with the GAULA and Fiscalía to ensure your safety while building a criminal case against the perpetrators. We also defend individuals who face false accusations of extortion or threats, which can be weaponized in personal or commercial conflicts.
Problems We Solve
Digital extortion or sextortion
Someone is threatening to publish private photos, videos, or personal information unless you pay money — a growing problem affecting expats through dating apps, social media, and compromised accounts.
Ransomware attack on your business
Your company's systems or data have been encrypted by ransomware, and the attackers are demanding cryptocurrency payment. You need legal guidance on response, reporting obligations, and insurance claims.
Physical threats or intimidation
You are receiving threats to your safety or your family's safety — through messages, calls, or in person — related to a business dispute, personal conflict, or extortion demand.
False extortion accusation
Someone has filed a criminal complaint accusing you of extortion or threats as a tactic in a personal or business dispute, and you face a Fiscalía investigation with severe potential penalties.
Our Approach
Urgent Safety Response
We coordinate immediately with GAULA (anti-extortion unit) and the Fiscalía to ensure your physical safety, preserve evidence of threats, and initiate the criminal investigation under protocols designed to protect victims.
Evidence Collection and Case Building
We work with digital forensics specialists to preserve messages, calls, emails, and digital evidence in formats admissible in Colombian criminal courts, building a case that identifies and prosecutes the perpetrators.
Defense or Prosecution Through Trial
We represent victims throughout the criminal process to ensure effective prosecution, or defend the accused by challenging the evidence, demonstrating the absence of coercive intent, or exposing the complaint as retaliatory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do not pay. Preserve all evidence (screenshots, messages, call records) without alerting the extortionist. Contact a lawyer immediately. Report to the GAULA hotline (165) or the Fiscalía. GAULA has specialized anti-extortion protocols designed to protect your safety while building the case.
Extortion carries 192 to 288 months imprisonment (16 to 24 years) and fines of 800 to 1,800 monthly minimum wages. Penalties increase if the victim is a minor, elderly, public official, or if the extortion is committed by organized groups. It is one of the most severely punished crimes in Colombia.
Generally, no. Paying does not guarantee data recovery, may fund criminal organizations, and could expose your company to additional legal risks. Instead, contact a lawyer to assess your legal obligations, report to the Fiscalía, engage cybersecurity professionals for recovery, and review your insurance coverage for cyber incidents.
Yes. Threats communicated through any medium — WhatsApp, Instagram, email, phone calls, or written messages — constitute the crime of threats under Article 347 of the Penal Code. Digital messages are valid evidence in Colombian courts when properly preserved and authenticated.
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