New phone scam: rash of virtual kidnappings -- also, what to do if you get a call.

[pnwmom]

https://patch.com/texas/eastaustin/s/g7qtb/the-elaborate-fake-kidnapping-scam-terrifying-american-parents

Some fake kidnappers research their victims before demanding money. They may use Google Maps or other internet sites to get descriptions of a victim’s home and comb through social media to learn about their lives. By peppering their ransom calls with the information learned about their victims, they add credibility to their threats.

SNIP

There are ways to avoid being victimized, Lee said.

Be suspicious of demands that ransom be paid by wire transfer. “In these schemes, they’re never going to ask for a money drop,” Lee explained. “It’s going to be a wire transfer, and it may be requested in smaller increments.”

Slow the caller down and tell them you’re writing down the demands or need time to come up with the money. “They’re capitalizing on urgency and talking quickly to get you to be fearful and immediately make that decision, so you can’t slow things down and start thinking it through,” Lee said.

Don’t haggle over the ransom. In some cases, the caller may start out with a high ransom demand, then lower it, sometimes significantly, when they’re met with resistance, Lee said. Most scammers are trying to make a quick hit and go after smaller amounts because there’s a greater likelihood of a payoff.

Ask for proof the supposed victim is alive. Don’t settle for what the caller offers — pre-recorded or scripted responses, three-way calls or even face-to-face conversations through Skype or FaceTime. Instead, ask the caller for a photo of the victim holding a newspaper with a current date clearly visible.

Ask to speak with the victim. If the caller refuses, ask for a description of the victim, what the victim is wearing and for a description of the victim’s vehicle.

Ask that the victim be allowed to call back from his or mobile phone.
While staying on the line with alleged kidnappers, try to call the alleged kidnap victim from another phone. Attempt to text or contact the victim via social media.

[Not Ruth]

1. Call the police?

[Lochloosa]

3. Uh. Yeah?

[Iggo]

4. Oh yeah and that.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. Hang up

Seriously - just hang up.

[pnwmom]

6. Some of these are playing sounds with screaming in the background. They can also use

real voices.

One couple was called separately, and their fearful voices were played back to each other.

[JustAnotherGen]

13. I still would hang up

Then immediately call the police.

Keep in mind - as an 'element' of my work after our 300 fraud reps - I catch millions of dollars a year that they missed.

To me? Everything - everything is a shake down and a scam.

Some of the calls where are customer service reps get scammed into giving up info? Yikes!

[politicat]

5. I wonder how many get "Ransom of Red Chief"ed.

For all of those who are legitimately scammed by this, I am so sorry, and please do your best to help the Feds catch these slime with as little trauma to yourselves as possible, but I'm going to be blunt about this: Most of my family is not worth $10 by Paypal, much less a wire transfer. If they call me, I'm going to laugh, tell them to keep them, and good fucking luck with the psychopaths. Anyone actually or virtually kidnapping either of my parents or most of my cousins/aunts/uncles would need rescue more than my family members.

Actually... the scary thing is I can see some of my more deeply manipulative fam using this as way to force those of us who have cut them off back into contact with them.

On privacy to make this less possible: Scrub your social media profiles of personal information. Close down your Facebook and nuke the account. If you must have one for work, close it, open a new one, and lock its privacy settings down to only friends. Be careful who you friend, and block anyone who isn't respectful of your privacy.

[pnwmom]

7. There are so many sites out there that list family members, and they DON'T rely on Facebook

or other social media for their data.

[politicat]

9. I know. Ancestry and genealogy sites are evil that way.

They're not supposed to list living people, but they do.

It's not easy to scrub, but it can be done. I had to do it because in addition to being manipulative assholes, my fam is full of credit thieves.

I hate being that paranoid.

[pnwmom]

10. And many sites like whitepages.com. Maybe you should check again because

new sites are springing up every day.

[politicat]

11. I have a crawler script that spouse wrote.

Since we pulled all of our then extant data about 10 years ago, there's a lot less that links up. But we clear it regularly. It's about 4 hours a month of work these days. I get about 3 links a week.

For professional reasons, we have means and motive to keep an eye on this. Well aware of the privilege that goes with this, but Facebook really is about 85% of the 800 pound gorilla in data mining. Nuking a personal Facebook presence, never using FB as a log-in/association, and using private browsing or a VPN or both limits tracking to a manageable level.

[USALiberal]

8. I have trouble believing this is that big of an issue. n/t

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

12. I eagerly look forward to one of their calls

[MrScorpio]

14. With caller ID I don't answer the phone for people I don't know

"He won't answer the phone."

"Uh... Leave a voicemail?"

[Bengus81]

15. I had caller ID back when I had a landline--worthless most of the time....

Anyone who wants your cash can show up as anything on Caller ID. They have even rigged it up to where YOUR name shows up like your somehow calling yourself.

I got plenty of the scam calls,wanting money because I didn't show up for Jury duty. Wanting money because the caller was from the IRS. Funny how 99% of those STOPPED when I canceled my landline and went only with cell.