By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
The FBI is warning residents in several states about a terrifying scam in which mortified parents are told their child had been kidnapped and won’t be released until they pay ransom.
Calling it “virtual kidnapping for ransom,” law enforcement said a network of suspects in the U.S. and Mexico is extorting money from parents by convincing them their loved one was taken hostage, even though they weren’t, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Valerie Sobel received one of the calls two years ago. The caller said. “We have your daughter Simone’s finger. Do you want the rest of her in a body bag?”
Following the alleged kidnapper’s demands, Sobel wired $4,000 to the caller to save her daughter. Turned out, her daughter was fine and never kidnapped.
Thousands of parents in several states have received similar calls.
The FBI said it can’t stop the scam with arrests alone, so the bureau is working with local police agencies to educate people on the scam.
