TIMES, THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015 • 12 Virtual Kidnapping Scams On The Rise Crooked Callers Pose As Relatives by Anthony Giudice “Virtual kidnapping”—a scam in which crooks call individuals while posing as relatives in distress and in need of money—is on the rise in New York City, the FBI and the NYPD announced. While no actual kidnapping has taken place, authorities stated, the callers often use coconspirators to convince the victim of the authenticity of the threat. An example of one of these scams would be a caller might attempt to convince a victim that a family member was just involved in a car accident with a gang member. The caller pretends to be related to the gang member and tells the victim that their family member was seriously injured and needs to go to the hospital, but the gang member will not let them until they are paid for damages to the car, trying to solicit money from the victim. Another tactic of these criminals involves calling a victim and pretending that a female family member has been kidnapped. To sell the scam, the caller would have a female scream in the background of the phone call. “This is a scheme that takes advantage of some of the most vulnerable people in New York City,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos said. “We need the public to be aware of this scam and call us if they have been a victim.” The callers will usually provide the victim with instructions to ensure the safe return of the alleged kidnapped family member. In some cases, they demand a ransom payment. Callers are ordered to remain on the phone until the money is successfully wired, usually to a third part in Puerto Rico. The schemes use various techniques to instill a sense of fear, panic and confusion in an effort to get the victim to make a rushed decision and send them the ransom money. -SEE SCAM ON PG. 56- ©Times Newsweekly 2015-REDEEMER Redeemer Lutheran School
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