Police are issuing another warning to Winnipeg residents after more virtual kidnapping scams hit the city.
On January 14, 2018, News 4 told you about two cases that happened in January that prompted justice officials to issue a warning.
Virtual kidnapping is a scam that preys on victims oftentimes through aggressive phone calls.
Here is how the scam works
A family member will get a call saying that their loved one has been kidnapped and if they want to get them back unharmed they must pay. In reality, their loved one is typically just out of the country and no one has been kidnapped but the “kidnappers” threaten and coerce the victims to believe they have been taken and often quickly pay a ransom.
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Winnipeg police say that two more people have been targeted by the scam and in one instance on Monday, February 5, 2018, the victim was about to wire funds to an off-shore area code when an employee of the wire transfer business stopped them.
Winnipeg Police warn people to be vigilant and to contact them if you feel you are being targeted at 204-986-6222 or you can contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at the link below.
Link | Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
Avoiding the scam
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States, they have known about these types of scams for the past two decades and there are a number of things you can do to avoid becoming a victim by looking for possible indicators:
- Incoming calls made from an outside area code
- Multiple successive phone calls
- Calls do not come from the kidnapped victim’s phone
- Callers go to great lengths to keep you on the phone
- Callers prevent you from calling or locating the “kidnapped” victim
- Ransom money is only accepted via wire transfer service
The FBI says that if you receive a call from someone who demands payment of a ransom for a kidnapped victim you should consider the following:
- In most cases, the best course of action is to hang up the phone.
- If you do engage the caller, don’t call out your loved one’s name.
- Try to slow the situation down. Request to speak to your family member directly. Ask, “How do I know my loved one is okay?”
- Ask questions only the alleged kidnap victim would know, such as the name of a pet. Avoid sharing information about yourself or your family.
- Listen carefully to the voice of the alleged victim if they speak.
- Attempt to contact the alleged victim via phone, text, or social media, and request that they call back from their cell phone.
- To buy time, repeat the caller’s request and tell them you are writing down the demand, or tell the caller you need time to get things moving.
- Don’t agree to pay a ransom, by wire or in person. Delivering money in person can be dangerous.
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