News

Virtual kidnapperstry to scam local family

Published March 13, 2018 4:07 PM

A Coachella Valley couple was put into a panic when scam artists called the father saying they had kidnapped their son, demanding money for his release.

It’s a crime called virtual kidnapping and according to the FBI, this type of scam is on the rise.

“If you try to f**k me I am going to kill your son OK? I am not f*****g around alright,” said the scammer on the phone to the father.

The family asked that we hide their identity for this report.

The father took cellphone video of his conversation with a group of people who claimed they were members of a Mexican cartel. The son was in school when the scammers called.

It took a few minutes, but the school did find their son on campus, safe and sound.

The father stayed on the line for several minutes, recording the call while waiting for police to arrive. The mother of the child says this was a terrifying experience.

“Don’t call out your child’s name when they are on the phone with you. Don’t transfer money. If someone is with you call the school and make sure your child is where you are supposed to be,” said the mother.

According to the FBI website, many of these scams are made from people inside Mexican prisons.“The scammers attempt to keep victims on the phone so they can’t verify their loved ones’ whereabouts or contact law enforcement. The callers are always in a hurry, and the ransom demand is usually a wire payment to Mexico of $2,000 or less because there are legal restrictions for wiring larger amounts across the border,” the FBI wrote on their website.