‘Take precaution’: Red Sox legend David Ortiz says hackers attempting to extort him for money
Red Sox legend David Ortiz is being targeted by hackers threatening to sell details of his personal life, the Hall of Famer shared on social media Wednesday.
The hackers gained access to an old cell phone that Ortiz hadn’t used in a long time and have threatened to make details of his personal life public, Ortiz detailed in Spanish on Instagram.
“They navigated through my personal life and have wanted to extort me through that,” Ortiz said, according to the Boston Globe’s translation.
Ortiz says the culprit also committed bank fraud with his accounts six months ago. The slugger says he wanted to keep fans updated and alert them to the dangers of the incident.
“I wouldn’t want any of my beautiful people from the Dominican Republic to get involved in this. And take part in this. Because we are taking legal action. Because this has to do with fraud and extortion,’ Ortiz said.
The three-time World Series champion says he’s taken legal action and the culprits will be caught.
“The criminals know that we are watching them closely and here in the United States, the FBI, the DEA and now in the Dominican Republic the Intelligence Department and the police,” Ortiz said. “They are taking action over this.”
Ortiz dodged death in 2019 when he was shot in while in his native Santa Domingo. A report by the Boston Globe found Ortiz was targeted in the shooting by an international drug dealing kingpin who wanted him dead.
The wounds were so serious, Ortiz had to be flown to Mass General Hospital in Boston for treatment.
According to the report, former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis said the “powerful and politically connected drug lord César ‘The Abuser’ Peralta came to feel disrespected by Ortiz, prompting him to place a bounty on Ortiz’s head and sanction the ragtag hit squad that tried to kill him.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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