Santa Cruz police warn of virtual kidnapping scams

Santa Cruz police are warning the community of “virtual kidnapping scams.”

Police said this weekend- three victims received calls of suspects claiming they’ve kidnapped a family member and then tried extorting money from them.

According to investigators, all three calls were similar. Once the phone is answered the victim can hear either a baby or a woman crying in the background. A man then says, “This is a kidnapping, listen to my instructions. We are holding your family members hostage-,” or “Send me money or you will never see your family members again.”

Investigators were able to confirm no relatives were in danger and found the calls were made from a blocked number.

Santa Cruz police believe this phone scam is a variation of a “virtual kidnapping scam.” If you receive a similar call FBI asks you do the following:

– Resist the pressure to act quickly-

-Try to contact your family members to determine whether or not the call is legitimate-

-Contact police

-Never wire money based on a request made over the phone or in an e-mail, especially overseas. Wiring money is like giving cash—once you send it, you can’t get it back.