FBI warning Arizonans of ‘virtual kidnapping’ phone scam
Oct 17, 2017, 5:05 AM
(Pexels Photo)
PHOENIX — The FBI is launching a nationwide campaign in an effort to warn people of a phone scam that uses a fake kidnapping to get them to pay a “ransom.”
The scams, also known as “virtual kidnapping,” were once limited to Mexico but are now starting to show up in states like Arizona.
Phoenix FBI Special Agent Glenn Milnor said the scams typically begin with a phone call from a stranger.
“They’re doing everything from calling parents and basically saying, ‘We have just abducted your child from a school,’” he said. “In the background, you’ll either hear a recording or a live person screaming, ‘Mom, help me.’”
The fraudsters are usually calling from Mexico, Milnor said. In some circumstances, they are incarcerated and are using a contraband cell phone to call random numbers in affluent areas around the country.
Milnor said they will ask for several thousand dollars to be paid through wire transfers to Mexico and if the callers refuse, they tell the victims that they will hurt or kill their loved ones.
The purpose of the FBI’s nationwide campaign is to get more people to come forward if they have gotten these calls, Milnor said.
The more people who come forward, he added, the easier it will be for the FBI to track how often these scams are happening across the country.
“We don’t have exact number right now because it seems that the victims of this are hesitant to call in,” Milnor said. “They’re either embarrassed or they feel like there might be more retribution coming their way if they call law enforcement.”
And for those who find themselves in the middle of a “virtual kidnapping” scam, Milnor advised them to hang up the phone, make note of the number and call police.
“Often times, there is no kidnapping,” he said. “There is no one that is associated with your child or your loved one — it’s all a fraud.”