Charismatic Red Sox Hall of Famer David Ortiz, who has been targeted at times by various criminal elements, said Wednesday he is being extorted by people who hacked one of his old phones, accessing his bank accounts and details of his personal life.
Speaking in Spanish in an Instagram video post, Ortiz said law enforcement authorities in his native Dominican Republic and the United States are investigating the case for alleged extortion and fraud. He warned viewers, “my people,” to avoid becoming ensnared in the matter.
“I am a victim of extortion,” said a solemn Ortiz, who has long grappled with the risks of life in the limelight.
Citing “the fear of what could be exposed out there” from his phone, Ortiz said, “I wouldn’t want any of my beautiful people from the Dominican Republic to get involved in this because we are taking legal action.”
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Ortiz, who survived a point-blank shooting in the back in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo in 2019, said the hackers made a series of fraudulent transactions through his bank accounts six months ago and have threatened to sell personal information they discovered on his phone.
“If someone tries to offer you this, I would suggest you stay away from it because we are following those people and anyone else who wants to get involved,” Ortiz cautioned.
While he left unclear where the hackers may reside, he indicated — by speaking in Spanish and expressing particular concern about people in the Dominican Republic — that any criminal operation may be centered there.
“The criminals know that we are watching them closely and here in the United States, the FBI, the DEA, and now, in the Dominican Republic, the Intelligence Department and the police,” Ortiz said.
He indicated the hackers broke into a phone he used as long as 15 years ago but had not used “in recent times.” He did not elaborate on the nature of any extortion demands, and no arrests have been reported.
Ortiz has spoken publicly about separating from and ultimately divorcing his wife Tiffany after they raised three children together. He also has been embroiled in a bitter public dispute in the Dominican Republic with Fary Almanzar Fernandez, the mother of his fourth child.
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Attempts to reach Ortiz for this article were unsuccessful. His spokesman, the Red Sox, and the FBI declined to comment.
This is not the first time Ortiz has faced an extortion demand. In 2012, Felix A. Paulino, a Dominican-American ex-convict with a history of violence, videotaped Ortiz chatting with several women in the back room at a nightclub in Boston’s Theatre District, according to court records and Eddie Dominguez, a former Boston police detective and MLB security agent for the Red Sox, who worked undercover on the case with the FBI.
Even though the video allegedly showed Ortiz doing nothing more than playfully flirting with the women, Paulino threatened to sell the recording to the celebrity gossip site TMZ unless Ortiz paid him $20,000.
When the FBI arrested Paulino in a car outside his Lowell home, they found a loaded .22-caliber handgun under his seat. Paulino pleaded guilty in US District Court in Boston to extortion and being a felon in possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to two years in prison.
Despite Ortiz’s disturbing encounters through the years, he remains a highly approachable public figure, especially in Boston, where he continues to own a home. His business interests include promoting a long list of services and products, from banking and credit cards to coffee and cannabis, in addition to his long-term contracts with Fox Sports and Fox Bet. The primary focus of his extensive charitable work is the David Ortiz Children’s Fund, which supports pediatric heart patients in the US and DR.
In his video, Ortiz encouraged viewers to learn from his experience with the hackers and report any suspicious activity.
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“You know I’m a person who wishes no harm on anyone, who doesn’t harm anyone,” Ortiz said. “I hope you all do the same. Many blessings.”
Travis Andersen and Randy Vazquez of the Globe staff contributed to this report.
Bob Hohler can be reached at robert.hohler@globe.com.