Virtual kidnappings across the county are on the rise, including right here in Northeast Ohio, according to the FBI. Virtual kidnapping is a scam that has also become more sophisticated.
“Any type of virtual kidnapping we treat as a real kidnapping,” said Special Agent Julie Yelk, crisis negotiation coordinator, Cleveland FBI.
The scam no longer involves a parent getting a call from someone pretending to have their child and demanding money which all happens very quickly.
Now, there is a new twist on the scary scam, according to law enforcement.
This complex scam typically targets international students and young adults from other countries.
According to Yelk, it typically starts with a call from someone in their home country claiming they are in trouble, their personal information has been compromised or their identity has been stolen. The scammer then demands the victim pay a fee to avoid arrest or legal action. The con artist eventually convinces the victim they’re trying to help them.
“This manipulation can go on for days, it can go on for weeks, but they will tell these students don't tell your family don’t disclose any of this information to anyone we need to keep a secret,” explained Yelk.
Then, Yelk said, the victims are convinced to get off social media, leave their phones off, isolate themselves sometimes even being told to go to hotels alone. But then the scam goes even further.
“As soon as they can get that student isolated, they’re contacting their families back in their home countries and flipping the story, saying that we have your child we’re threatening to hurt them and now we’re going to be asking for a ransom demand from their families,” she said.
There are a growing number of these types of cases in the United States, including in Ohio.
“It’s important for people to know it’s a scam and it’s easy to fall for no shame in falling for it,” she said.
Anyone who has fallen victim to this scam or knows of someone who has should contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or dial local law enforcement.
