Delorean Free After Being "Virtually Kidnapped" in Mexico

Drama went down in Mexico City last weekend as Delorean were reportedly victims of a “virtual kidnapping.” The members of the Spanish indie-rock quartet are now safe after their families eventually informed the authorities, who located the band 48 hours after they went missing. While no arrests having been made, police sources stated that an unidentified caller phoned the band’s family members in Spain, claiming that the band was being held captive and demanding a ransom of 5 million pesos (roughly $380,000), setting off an international effort to find the musicians. El País reports that the caller claimed to be a member of Mexico’s notorious Zetas gang who advised Delorean member Guillermo Astrain that there would be a shootout at the hotel, and they should move to another hotel for their safety. The band were in Mexico City for the local edition of the Mutek Festival, when they received a phone call at their hotel from criminals pretending to be hotel security. They were told their current hotel was unsafe, and were urged to move to a second hotel, which they did of their own volition. Kidnappers held them in this location, and one band member was ordered to buy a Mexican mobile phone. “Virtual kidnapping” is an act of psychological manipulation and extortion and has become increasingly popular in the Central American country. It relies on a variety of tricks to make people believe their loved ones are being held for ransom, when, in fact, the victims are safe.