The Los Angeles Police Department Friday warned members of the Hispanic community about a growing trend in so-called “virtual” kidnapping scams.
Scammers contact victims through phone calls, faxes or private messaging apps, claim they’ve kidnapped a loved one and demand payment for their release, according to the LAPD.
Tactics include alleging the relative owes a drug cartel money for lost narcotics or was involved in a traffic accident, police said
Victims are instructed to send or deliver ransom money and are often told they are being watched and must stay on the phone without contacting police or taking other calls, police said.
In some cases, scammers simultaneously contact two relatives at the same time, making each believe the other has been abducted, police said.
LAPD urged the public to watch for red flags such as calls from unknown numbers, especially those with Mexico’s +52 country code — and to avoid replying to suspicious messages on encrypted apps or using social media to locate loved ones.
Police said anyone receiving a suspicious call should hang up and notify police immediately.