The state Attorney General’s office has filed 52 extortion cases in court, an official said.

However, of those cases only five had been accepted by judges.

Assistant Attorney General in Mexicali Pedro Ariel Mendívil said the agency has detected extortion calls from Mexico City, Monterrey and the state of Jalisco — mostly from prisons.

Some other calls are made with local area codes.

Mendívil said the most important thing a victim can make is to hang up the phone immediately and avoid answering calls from unknown phone numbers.

Extortion attempts must be reported with the agency, the official said.