There’s a scary phone scam out there that tries to convince you that a loved one has been kidnapped by criminals. All across the United States there have been reports of scammers calling people and telling them that their family members are in grave danger. Find out how to spot this scam, how to avoid and report it, and how you can trace unknown calls.
How The Kidnapping Phone Scam Works
You’ll receive a call from someone claiming to have your family member and demanding that you send them money as ransom. You may even hear screams or crying in the background of the call. This is all designed to make you panic.
The calls often come from Mexico and they find family names and phone numbers on social media. Using this information they will demand that you wire them large amounts of money.
How To Avoid This Scam
This scam is scary and requires quick thinking. If you get a call from someone saying they have your loved one ask something personal. Make sure it’s something only the person they say they have would know. Additionally, while on the phone with the caller send a text out to the person they say they have, or find someone to call the person they say is in danger.
If you verify that the caller is a scammer immediately hang up and call your local police. It’s important that you report this type of call as soon as possible. Scammers are likely targeting other people in your community.
Another thing which you can do to protect yourself and your family is to set your social media to private. Only share information with people you know and trust online. Most of the time these callers get their information from online social media platforms, like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Trace Unknown Calls
You should always try to avoid answering unknown phone calls. To help you with this look into using a white pages iPhone caller ID app on your smart phone. Not only will apps like these help you cut down on the amount of unwanted calls you receive, they could also save you from being a scam victim.