Grim as a real situation of the kinds like these could be, this tells me that spammers are feeling cyberpressure of making money ever more quickly, since these messages contain threats with time limits. I would go even so far as saying these spammers are already under economic pressure and referring to what the end of the article said the real bigger fishies will drag them down with them. It's like a Piranha threatening a shark.

Feel the hope, spammers could be on the last feeding frenzy, criminal element to criminal element that is.

"Hi. We hijacked your baby. Give to us $50 000."

Come on...