WASHINGTON — Imagine getting a phone call from someone who claims to have kidnapped someone in your family. Such calls, known as virtual kidnapping scams, have been occurring across the D.C. area in recent days.
Scammers steal money by demanding a ransom, telling the victim that their family member will be injured or killed if the payment is not wired immediately. In some cases, the scammers will have someone screaming in the background to make the call sound more authentic, the FBI says.
The FBI has been monitoring such scams nationwide for some time, and victims are urged to report the crime to their local FBI office.
The Archdiocese of Washington issued a statement Tuesday, saying a parent with a child in an archdiocesan school was recently targeted by a virtual kidnapping scam.
A similar incident occurred at an independent private school unrelated to the Archdiocese, and George Mason University warned its community last week that a student and an employee fell victim to a virtual kidnapping scam.
Additionally, the Prince William County Police Department posted a cautionary message on its Facebook page this week, reading, “this scam has been around for a few years but it appears it is becoming popular again.”
To avoid becoming a victim of this extortion scheme, look for the following possible indicators, provided by the FBI:
- Incoming calls that come from an outside area code, sometimes from Puerto Rico with area codes 787 and 939.
- Calls not coming from the “kidnap” victim’s phone.
- Callers who go to great lengths to keep you on the phone.
- Callers who prevent you from calling or locating the “kidnap” victim.
- Ransom money is only accepted via wire transfer service.
If you receive a phone call from someone who demands payment of a ransom for a kidnapped victim, the FBI says you should:
- Try to slow the situation down. Request to speak to the victim directly. Ask, “How do I know my loved one is OK?”
- If they don’t let you speak to the victim, ask them to describe the victim or describe the vehicle they drive, if applicable.
- Listen carefully to the voice of the kidnap victim if they speak.
- Attempt to call, text, or contact the victim via social media. Request that the victim call back from his cellphone.
- While staying on the line with alleged kidnappers, try to call the alleged kidnap victim from another phone.
- To buy time, repeat the caller’s request and tell him you are writing down the demand, or tell the caller you need time to get things moving.
- Don’t directly challenge or argue with the caller. Keep your voice low and steady.
- Request that the victim call back from his cellphone.
