Saint Dominic.- In Dominican Republicthe social networks They stopped being simple spaces of social interaction to become scenarios where new forms of crime take place. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp andTikTok are today used not only to inform or entertain, but also as tools for extortionthe defamationhe blackmail and the identity theftcrimes that are growing rapidly and affect both ordinary citizens and public figures.
One of the most widespread crimes in the country is identity thefttypified in the Law No. 53-07 on High-Tech Crimes and Crimeswhich punishes these behaviors with penalties ranging from three months to seven years in prisonin addition to fines ranging from two and two hundred minimum wages. However, despite its penalty, experts agree that the rise of social networks and the speed with which information circulates have made it easier for cybercriminals to perfect their methods and expand their reach.
Sextortion
Among the different mechanisms of digital extortion, Sextortion It has established itself as the most frequent in the Dominican Republic. This crime consists of threatening a person with disseminating images, videos or conversations of intimate content if they do not deliver a sum of money or another type of benefit.
Cybercriminals often create fake profilesusually posing as young women, to establish contact with their victims. Through a gradual process of seduction, they gain their trust and encourage the exchange of sexual material—a practice known as sexting— until the victim is caught in a web of blackmail.
Telecommunications experts warn that these criminal structures do not act randomly. Before carrying out the extortion, criminals carry out a prior investigation of their targets: they analyze social networks, lifestyle, photographs, comments and any signal that reveals financial solvency or public reputation. Once the vulnerability is identified, the threat proceeds: pay or face public exposure to family, friends or work contacts.
Facebook continues to be the most used platform for this type of crime, followed by Instagram and instant messaging applications. According to specialists, many of these operations are carried out by organized gangs that operate from international call centersin coordination with local collaborators.
Defamation and blackmail as a digital business
Digital extortion in the country is not limited to the private sphere. In recent years, a worrying phenomenon has also emerged: the use of social networks and digital media as communication tools. defamation, insult and blackmail for political or economic purposes.
Last year, Dominican public opinion was shaken by a wave of indignation after the proliferation of discredit campaigns directed against well-known journalists, using digital platforms to spread false information. One of the most notorious cases involved communicators Marino Zapete, Edith Febles, Altagracia Salazar and Mariasela Álvarez, who were accused without evidence of receiving monthly payments from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The information was initially disseminated by Juan Aníbal Arrendel, who later admitted that the data was an invention. However, the reputational damage had already been done. Other commentators and influencers replicated the false version, intensifying the media attack. The affected journalists chose to go to court, suing both the original author and those who amplified the content for defamation and slander.
This type of case reveals how disinformation can become an instrument of pressure, discredit and, in some contexts, indirect extortion, by affecting the professional credibility and personal life of the victims.
During the first quarter of 2025 alone, around 150 people were arrestedaccused of committing crimes such as electronic scams, fraudulent transfers, Sextortion, phishing, card cloning, identity theft, fraudulent calls, harassment, defamation, sexual attack against minors and other infractions linked to information technologies.
The Ángel Martínez case: defamation, extortion and false credentials
Another emblematic file is that of Ángel Martínez, known as “El Detective”, arrested in Puerto Plata and facing multiple complaints for defamation, extortion, fraud and money laundering. Martínez presented himself as a researcher linked to international agencies, but was officially denied by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which stated that he has never worked for that institution or for any agency of the US Department of Justice.
Among the complaints is the one filed by Minister Faride Raful, who accuses him of using digital platforms and YouTube channels to spread insulting and defamatory statements, demanding compensation of RD$50 million for moral damages. The case also involves Ingrid Jorge, identified as a collaborator in the dissemination of the content.
The authorities do not rule out that Martínez faces legal proceedings in the United States for impersonating a federal agent, a crime that carries penalties of up to three years in prison, in addition to fines.
The Law 53-07 establishes clear sanctions for crimes such as illicit access, identity theft, digital blackmail and extortion using information technologies. Depending on the severity, penalties include imprisonment, heavy fines and civil liability for damages. However, jurists warn that technological evolution and the use of artificial intelligence pose new challenges for the effective application of the law.
You can also read: What are the 5 most common forms of digital violence (and how to protect yourself)
Indotel articulates national strategy
Given the sustained growth of these crimes, the Dominican Institute of Telecommunications (INDOTEL) announced that, starting in 2026, it will carry out a national strategy against digital extortion, blackmail and the spread of fake newsin coordination with other State entities.
The campaign will focus on education and citizen awarenessas well as in strengthening the legal framework and inter-institutional cooperation. The Department of Investigation of High Technology Crimes and Crimes (DICAT)the National Police and the Public Ministry.
INDOTEL warned that these actions respond to an alarming context: the Dominican Republic would have registered the highest number of victims of digital fraud in the American continent during the second half of 2024which requires a firm and sustained response.
The regulatory body stressed that cybercrime is constantly evolving, incorporating tools such as manipulated images and artificial intelligence applications, which turns digital extortion into a highly lucrative and difficult to track “business.”
