This report is based on information received from the Prosecutor’s Office.
COURT HOUSE – Cape May County Prosecutor Robert Taylor is warning residents to beware of a “virtual kidnapping” scam that is making its rounds in the county.
Taylor reports that over the course of the last few days there have been two separate calls to county residents similar in nature, all of which have been investigated by police and identified as a scam.
This type of scam is initiated when the victims receive a phone call stating that a loved one has been kidnapped and the caller is demanding ransom money for the safe return of their loved ones. Sometimes the victim can hear screams or voices in the background, which can lead the victims to believe their loved ones are afraid and or are being harmed to send the victims into a panic luring them further into the scam.
The callers sometimes provide specific detailed instructions regarding account numbers or Western Union sites to which the ransom money is to be transferred. Victims often are warned not to contact law enforcement before sending the money.
Investigating kidnapping scams is difficult because the suspected callers frequently use fake phone numbers or numbers that originate in foreign countries and “spoof” the call, so that it shows up as the number of your loved one, thus making it more believable. Oftentimes during these fake kidnapping calls, scammers will request between $500-2,000 to be transferred using services such as Western Union in exchange for the safe return of their loved one. Scammers will often have personal knowledge of the victim’s loved ones such as their address to make the scam more believable.
These types of scams have been reported in various parts of the United States over the last several years and are increasing due to the rapid advancements in technology allowing scammers tactics to become more sophisticated in masking their identity.
Prosecutor Taylor warns anyone who receives a similar call in nature from someone who demands payment of ransom for a kidnapped loved one is advised to stay calm and remain on the line with the caller to gather as much information as possible. Rather than rush to send the requested money, try to find your loved one’s whereabouts first and request to speak to your loved one. Save any voicemails or related text messages from the scammers. Do not share any information about your loved ones or your family to the caller and call 911 immediately to notify the police of the incident as soon as possible.
