Public warned about virtual kidnapping scams

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning the public about virtual kidnapping scams and variations of this type of scam that are targeting families in western Montana, including a case in Kalispell.

The agency’s Salt Lake City office recently received reports of victims getting calls from scammers claiming to have kidnapped their loved one and threatening to harm them unless a ransom is paid.

No one has been physically kidnapped in these schemes, but they are often traumatic for everyone involved. Many of these calls originate in Mexico, according to a press release from the FBI.

In one recent case, a scammer was able to convince a Kalispell man that his son was in danger and defrauded the victim out of thousands of dollars.

In another case, criminals targeted a woman whose daughter was reported missing earlier this year. The scammers used phishing techniques and information from social media posts to try to convince the woman that the teen was in immediate danger and a ransom needed to be paid for her safe return. The woman did not pay the ransom.

These extortion schemes typically involve an individual or criminal organization who contacts a victim via telephone and demands payment for the return of a “kidnapped” family member or friend. While no actual kidnapping has taken place, the callers often use co-conspirators to convince their victims of the legitimacy of the threat.

Callers, sometimes representing themselves as members of a drug cartel or corrupt law enforcement, typically will provide the victim with specific instructions, to ensure safe “return” of the allegedly kidnapped individual.

These instructions usually involve demands of a ransom payment. Most schemes use various techniques to instill a sense of fear, panic, and urgency in an effort to rush the victim into making a very hasty decision. Instructions usually require the ransom payment be made immediately and typically by wire transfer.

These schemes involve varying amounts of ransom demands, which often decrease at the first indication of resistance. The perpetrators will often go to great lengths to engage victims in ongoing conversations to prevent them from verifying the status and location of the “kidnapped” individuals.

Callers will often make their victims believe they are being watched and personally targeted. In reality, many of these callers are outside of the United States, simply making hundreds of calls, possibly using phone directories or other phone lists.

Although the FBI does not keep national statistics of virtual kidnapping for ransom, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2020, extortion scams had the third highest victim count in the U.S., behind phishing scams and non-payment/non-delivery scams.

Montana had 186 victims of extortion with losses totaling $413,176. The FBI believes most virtual kidnappings for ransom remain unreported.

It wants to raise awareness about this most recent scheme and provide individuals with the knowledge they need to avoid becoming a victim of this crime.

Anyone with information about these fraud schemes is encouraged to contact the Salt Lake City FBI at (801) 579-1400.