Police warned of an increase in cases of virtual kidnapping

Фото: Depositphotos

Police and federal agents warn citizens that the number of so-called virtual kidnappings is increasing, and dozens of people have given money to fraudsters.

The resident of Los Angeles, Valerie Sobel, has not bypassed this. The person who called her cell phone said a terrible thing: “We have Simone’s finger. Do you want to see her rest in a bag for a corpse? ” Then came the voice of her daughter.

"She called me mom (and said), 'I'm scared, please help,'" Sobel recalled.

In the following hours, the kidnappers asked her for $ 4 thousands as a ransom. Only after some time she realized that there was no abduction and it all turned out to be a scam.

“I didn’t come to my senses for several days,” she said.

In the past two years, Los Angeles police have received more than 250 reports of such crimes. People gave more than $ 100 thousand dollars, said Captain William Hayes, who heads the homicide and robbery unit.

For comparison, real kidnappings for ransom are rare. Los Angeles police usually receive from 10 to 15 cases a year, including abductions by other family members and acquaintances, Hayes said.

According to officials, in fake kidnappings, subscribers require victims to stay in touch, so they are not able to call their loved ones.

“If you receive a phone call like this, hang up immediately,” Hayes said.

The FBI began investigating the 2013 year. The investigation, called Operation Hotel Tango, identified at least 80 people in several states who received such calls, although not everyone sent money, said Gene Cole, a special agent in Los Angeles.

He noted that not all victims report crimes.

Last week, a woman from Texas became the first person in the country who was charged in connection with a virtual kidnapping scheme. 34-year-old Janet Rodriguez Acosta from Houston is accused of fraud and conspiracy to launder money. If found guilty, she faces up to 20 years in prison for every 10 cases.

The indictment alleges that Acosta and her partners used Mexican phone numbers to dial in Texas, California and Idaho. They are fraudulently receiving tens of thousands of dollars through money transfers.

In some cases, scammers choose area codes and make cold calls, hoping to catch an unsuspecting victim, officials said. In other cases, fraudsters can use social networks to get the names of children and other facts that can be used to intimidate specific victims.

In the Sobel case, the fake captors could get her daughter's voice from her voice mail. Authorities said fear for the safety of the child could override skepticism.

Even the Los Angeles Police Department - in the person of Sergeant Smith - became a victim. Smith said he received a call on his cell phone about two years ago.

“She... screamed: “Daddy, daddy, help me. They took me in a van somewhere,” Smith said.

Although he did not recognize the voice, Smith said he could not risk his daughter. According to Smith, the callers threatened to “shoot a bullet in the back of her head” if he did not pay the ransom. The policeman managed to contact colleagues and make sure that the children were safe.

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