Two Dominican Republic nationals have been extradited to the United States to face charges over an alleged sextortion scheme that used social media to target victims in Puerto Rico, threaten exposure of sexually explicit images, and demand money. Patricia Joanna Almonte-Frías and her partner, Rineldys Feliciano Díaz-Cuevas, were extradited on September 30, 2026, after being arrested in the Dominican Republic on August 19 at the request of US authorities. The defendants face charges of conspiracy to cyberstalk and send interstate threats in the District of Puerto Rico, according to the US Department of Justice. The case concerns an alleged international operation in which victims were pressured to make payments under threats that compromising images would be shared with their families and friends.

Sextortion Scheme Allegedly Used Social Media Platforms

According to court documents, Almonte-Frías and Díaz-Cuevas operated a financially motivated sextortion conspiracy from the Dominican Republic. The alleged scheme involved identifying victims through Facebook, WhatsApp, and other social media platforms. Prosecutors allege that Almonte-Frías used her image to encourage victims in Puerto Rico to share sexually explicit photos and videos online. The material was secretly recorded, according to the allegations. Díaz-Cuevas and other alleged co-conspirators subsequently demanded money from victims, threatening to distribute the compromising images to their family members and friends if they did not pay. In some instances, the defendants allegedly created photo collages combining victims' sexually explicit images with pictures of minors. According to the Justice Department, these collages were designed to create the false impression that the victims were involved in sexual relationships with minors. The alleged social media extortion operation continued even after some victims made payments. Court documents state that, on multiple occasions, victims paid the demanded amounts and emptied their accounts, but the threats were still carried out. The victims' sexual images were subsequently distributed to their online networks of friends and family members.

FBI San Juan Investigated Cyberstalking Allegations

Héctor Ramírez-Carbó, Acting US Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico, said the alleged operation exploited victims' trust and vulnerability, causing lasting harm. Carlos R. Goris, Special Agent in Charge of FBI San Juan, said online extortion can cause significant financial and psychological harm. He encouraged people who suspect they have been targeted by extortion to report the incidents to law enforcement. The FBI San Juan office investigated the case. The Justice Department's Office of International Affairs, the FBI Legal Attaché in Santo Domingo, the US Marshals Service, and law enforcement partners in the Dominican Republic assisted in securing the defendants' arrests and extradition. Assistant US Attorney Julián Radzinschi, from the Financial Fraud and Public Corruption Division, is prosecuting the case.

Sextortion Conspiracy Charges Carry Up to Five Years in Prison

Almonte-Frías and Díaz-Cuevas face charges of conspiracy to cyberstalk and send interstate threats under 18 U.S.C. § 371. They made their initial court appearances on October 1, 2026, before US Magistrate Judge Marcos E. López of the US District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Any sentence would be determined by a federal district court judge after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Dominican Republic extradition marks the transfer of the two defendants to US jurisdiction to face the charges. The case also involves cooperation between US and Dominican Republic authorities in investigating alleged cross-border criminal activity. An indictment is an allegation, not proof of guilt. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

Thanks to Malwarebytes research engineer Stefan Dasic for his help with this article.

A name like ShipmentsFree suggests a way to save on shipping. The service does offer shipping rebates, but its Better Business Bureau (BBB) complaint record shows that some customers did not realize they had also signed up for recurring charges.

We found a number of very similar websites (which triggered our spidey senses), so we investigated.

Related shipping-themed domains use ShipmentsFree or ShipmentFree branding, similar account pages, overlapping policy language, and shared support details.

For example, freeshpmts.com and shipmentsfreezone.com both direct users to a “ShipmentFree – My Account” page, while shipmentsfreezone.com lists dataprotectionofficer@shipmentsfree.com as its data protection contact.

While their layouts and color schemes vary, the websites that were still live followed the same general pattern.

ShipmentsFree is a rebate service, not a shipping company. The ShipmentsFree FAQ says members can claim up to $100 per month in shipping and return rebates, provided they submit proof of the eligible costs. The service is also a paid, auto-renewing subscription, according to its Terms and Conditions.

When we checked, ShipmentsFree’s BBB profile listed 529 complaints in the previous three years, including 179 classified as billing issues. The BBB is not a regulator or court, and complaint totals should be read with some caution. But they show that billing has been a recurring point of friction.

Several complaints describe a similar experience: Someone notices a recurring $25 charge, doesn’t recall knowingly signing up, and tries to work out where it came from. One complainant said they “did not understand” they were enrolling in a paid membership or authorizing the monthly charge.

The route from a rebate offer to a recurring charge may be hard for a customer to retrace. Someone who signed up through a retailer promotion, browser pop-up, checkout offer, app, or one shipping-themed domain may later see a name on their statement that they don’t recognize.

There definitely seems to be a lack of clear communication. A shipping rebate is useful only if you understand what you are joining, what it costs, and how to leave. When consumers say they expected money back but found a recurring charge instead, that is worth taking seriously.

How to stay safe

Forewarned is forearmed, as they say. Before entering your payment details for a rebate offer:

• Make sure you understand what you’re signing up for. Read the terms, conditions, and privacy policy (or let an AI chatbot analyze it for you).
• Save the offer page and confirmation email in case you need to refer to it later.
• Look for the company name, business address, terms, and contact details you can independently check.
• Use a reversible payment method that offers consumer protection.

What if you get charged?

If you find a charge from ShipmentsFree, FreeShipments, ShipmentFree, or other unfamiliar variation, don’t assume it is a one-time shipping fee.

• Check the original purchase confirmation, inbox, spam folder, and browser history for the date you first entered payment details.
• Save screenshots of the charge, the name on your statement, the offer page if available, confirmation emails, and any cancellation attempt.
• If you have a membership you do not want, cancel through the provider’s official account or support channel and keep the confirmation.
• Ask the company for the enrollment date, the sign-up and consent records, and an itemized list of charges.
• Contact your card issuer or bank promptly if you didn’t authorize the enrollment, believe the offer was misleading, or continue to be charged after cancellation.
• Monitor the card for other unfamiliar recurring charges. They can be easy to miss when the name on your statement differs from the brand you remember.

Domains

URLs

We found these shipping-themed domains during our research:

free-shipments[.]com

freeshipments[.]com

freeshpmts[.]com

myshipmentsfree[.]com

shipmentfree[.]com

shipmentsfree[.]com

shipmentsfreeclub[.]com

shipmentsfreezone[.]com

Telephone number

A telephone number listed for several of these services:

0800 524 2165

App

We also found a ShipmentsFree app in the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/shipmentsfree/id1658146882

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