Mexican actress Susana Zabaleta was robbed at her Mexico City home while on vacation, through the 'La Patrona' scam that extorted her domestic worker. Authorities confirmed the incident and noted it is not the first break-in at her property. The method also targeted TV host Pati Chapoy in 2019.
On October 26, Susana Zabaleta received a strange message while on vacation with her partner, Ricardo Pérez. Upon contacting her domestic worker, the actress learned of a phone extortion under the 'La Patrona' modus operandi. The worker handed over valuable items, including jewelry, after being deceived about an alleged emergency involving the employers.
In an Instagram story, Zabaleta recounted: “Hace como media hora me mandaron un mensaje (...) la muchacha que trabaja en mi casa fue extorsionada y sacaron cosas del lugar, por favor cuídense, México no es seguro”. She added it was not the first time, recalling a 2015 robbery when thieves accessed her safe during her theater performances, taking jewelry and cash worth approximately 200,000 Mexican pesos. On that occasion, she stated: “Me siento vigilada, creo que lo hacían desde hace tiempo, no sé si hubo un trato con alguien, pero llegaron directo a la caja fuerte”.
The Secretaría de Seguridad Ciudadana (SSC) of Mexico City received the complaint in the Álvaro Obregón borough. They explained the worker was tricked by a call and delivered valuables. Authorities advised the victim to file a formal report and began investigations, including surveillance camera analysis. They recommend ignoring such calls and verifying the employers' situation.
This scam, also known as 'Sobre amarillo', involves contacting domestic workers by pretending emergencies to collect jewelry, electronics, or cash. In 2019, Pati Chapoy fell victim similarly: her worker filled a suitcase with valuables after a call about imminent vandalism and delivered it in person, as she recounted on Ventaneando: “Mi marido recibe una llamada (...) quien tomó una maleta y la llenó con objetos valiosos (...) se los entregó en propia mano”.