Boston Red Sox icon and Hall of Famer David Ortiz has faced a new challenge awaiting him off the field: extortion. In a recent video posted on social media, Ortiz openly accused unnamed individuals of hacking an old cell phone and demanding money in exchange for keeping his personal information private. But Ortiz decided not to let the situation unfold quietly, making the extortion attempt public to inform fans of the situation and urge them not to be involved.
“I am being the victim of extortion right now. There are people who 'hacked' my phone from more than 15 years ago which I do not use...He will sell part of my personal life from what he found on my phone,” Ortiz explained in the video. The 47-year-old slugger also disclosed that the same individuals managed to access his bank accounts, although he did not provide further details on the fraudulent actions according to the Boston Herald.
With Ortiz's public response to the extortion attempt, not only has he chosen to quickly involve the FBI, DEA, and Dominican Republic authorities as reported on PennLive, but he is also bringing attention to the importance of being vigilant about one's personal information and the potential consequences of failing to do so.
"It is about fraud and extortion which in the end ends with jail," Ortiz said in the video. "These are things that happen and you have to be more careful, since this happens to let justice know about the situation."
It's not the first time Ortiz's name has been involved in negative headlines. In 2019, before the results of a private investigation were released, Ortiz was nearly killed in a shooting at a bar in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. A suspected drug lord, César Peralta, was arrested and later found to have ordered the botched shooting due to feeling disrespected and jealous of Ortiz. Since then, a court in the Dominican Republic delivered sentences ranging from five to ten years to ten suspects in connection with the attempted murder.
Despite these challenging situations in his personal life, Ortiz's legacy on the field remains untarnished, thanks to his three World Series titles with the Red Sox and an induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022. Throughout his baseball journey, Ortiz has gained a reputation for being a positive and upbeat figure, offering inspiration and cheer to fans and players alike.
Now facing an extortion plot, Ortiz boldly speaks out against the perpetrators, refusing to let them control his personal narrative.
