It is known as Virtual Kidnapping, an extortion scheme that tricks victims into paying a ransom so that their loved one is not hurt or killed and it is a scam that has surfaced in Winnipeg.

Here is how it 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.

Other versions of the scam use social media to contact the victims.

[jaw_quote author=”Erik Arbuthnot – FBI Special Agent” ]Scammers attempt to keep victims on the phone so they can’t verify their loved ones’ whereabouts or contact law enforcement.[/jaw_quote][jaw_clear]

Winnipeg Police are warning the public about these frauds after two cases happened within the last week.

On January 9th and again on January 10th two victims fell prey to the scam after being told their loved ones were in danger. In both cases, money was wired to an out of country area code after the victims were contacted by the fraudsters. Police say the total amount paid in each case was less than $5000.00.

Although these types of scams can come from literally anywhere in the world many seen in North America can be traced back to fraudsters incarcerated in the Mexican prison system. Prisoners will get a hold of a cell phone and begin cold-calling hundreds of numbers in various cities until someone falls for the scam.

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.

Winnipeg Police have not released the specifics surrounding the recent cases in the city but say that if you have been targeted by this type of scam to call them at 204-986-6222 or you can contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at the link below.

Link |  Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre

-Staff-

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