PARSIPPANY — Be on the lookout for a “virtual kidnapping” scam where con artists call people at random, claim to have kidnapped their relatives and demand a ransom payment, according to the Parsippany Police Department.
Callers, sometimes representing themselves as members of a drug cartel or corrupt law enforcement, will typically provide you with specific instructions to ensure safe “return” of the allegedly kidnapped individual. These instructions usually involve demands of a ransom payment. Most schemes use various techniques to instill a sense of fear, panic, and urgency in an effort to rush the victim into making a very hasty decision.
Instructions usually require the ransom payment be made immediately and typically by wire transfer. These schemes involve varying amounts of ransom demands, which often decrease at the first indication of resistance.
Callers will often go to great lengths to engage victims in ongoing conversations to prevent them from verifying the status and location of the “kidnapped” individuals. Callers will often make their victims believe they are being watched and were personally targeted. In reality, many of these callers are outside of the United States, simply making hundreds of calls, possibly using phone directories or other phone lists.
To avoid becoming a victim of this extortion scheme, look for the following possible indicators:
-Incoming calls made from an outside area code
-Multiple successive phone calls
-Calls do not come from the kidnapped victim’s phone
-Callers go to great lengths to keep you on the phone
-Callers prevent you from calling or locating the “kidnapped” 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 following should be considered:
-Stay calm
-Slow the situation down
-Avoid sharing information about you or your family during the call
-Listen carefully to the voice of the kidnapped victim
-Attempt to call or determine the location of the “kidnapped” victim
-Request to speak to the victim
-Ask questions only the victim would know<
-Request the kidnapped victim call back from his/her cell phone<
If you wish to file a complaint about a virtual kidnapping scam phone call, contact the FBI Newark Office Complaint Line: (973) 792-3000
