Hollister Police warn of “virtual kidnapping” scam
The Hollister Police Department is warning of a “virtual kidnapping” scam, after several reported incidents in the last week.
On February 18, a woman was called from an unknown number. The suspect told the woman they are holding her daughter hostage at the Hollister Walgreens. She was asked to come to the Walgreen and not notify anyone on what is happening.
When the victim arrived, she gave her car’s description to the suspect, who said he was watching her. The suspect then asked the woman to take her jewelry to a pawn shop in exchange for cash and to go to a Western Union to send a Money Gram.
Before this scam proceeded any further, family members were able to help the woman figure out her daughter was not, in fact, kidnapped.
From the Hollister Police Department: “The Hollister Police Department would like to remind everyone to be suspicious of any telephone calls where the caller imposes a problem or crisis and demanding money only by electronically transferring or purchasing prepaid cards. If you receive a suspicious phone call of this nature, you are encouraged to report it to law enforcement. These fraudulent schemes can be prevented by remaining well informed.
Consider developing secret words or phrases that only your family members would know. The scammers usually are calling random numbers and listen for clues or phrases from the victim to assist in convincing the victim that they have their relative held hostage. Another popular scam is to call elderly victims and convince them their adult grandson or granddaughter have been in an accident or arrested and ask for money to be transferred immediately. The caller identifies themselves as their grandson, and the victim will ask “are you…” followed by the name of the relative. The scammer then assumes that name.
The police department has received several reports of people in Hollister receiving similar calls. The Hollister Police Department would like to increase the public’s awareness of scams that are occurring to extort money from victims. Please share this information with your friends, family, and neighbors. For more information or additional tips visit the FBI website; https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/virtual-kidnapping”
