Phone scams are nothing new; they have been around about as long as the phone has been in existence. But criminals are an adaptive species of virus; constantly looking for new ways to exploit human frailties. In the savage and violent world in which we now live, FEAR can spread like a cancer, especially when everyday we are inundated with murder, rape and kidnappings on television and the internet. These criminals know that if they can SCARE somebody enough not to question the validity of a threat and by consequence make them act out of moral reflex to try to avoid violence. If this can be accomplished, money can be made easily. This is how Virtual Kidnapping works.
It is no surprise that this scam started in Mexico, where REAL KIDNAPPINGS still happen at an endemic rate. Last year alone, the reported kidnappings in Mexico were 1,583. It is interesting to note, that this stat, like almost all other crime statistics in Mexico (including Murder) is highly skewed and suspect; after all, in a society where “snitches” and people with loose lips typically end up in snuff films or be-headed on the side of the road, what get’s “REPORTED” is relatively always LOW or NON-EXISTENT.
To get an ideal of how these creeps work, consider these transcripts from Mexico recorded in 2012.
Indicators that you are being scammed:
- Incoming calls made from an outside area code
- Multiple successive phone calls
- Calls do not come from the kidnapped victim’s phone
- Callers go to great lengths to keep you on the phone
- Callers prevent you from calling or locating the “kidnapped” victim
- Ransom money is only accepted via wire transfer service
Tips on what to do during the Call:
- Stay calm
- Slow the situation down
- Avoid sharing information about you or your family during the call
- Listen carefully to the voice of the kidnapped victim
- Attempt to call or determine the location of the “kidnapped” victim
- Request to speak to the victim
- Ask questions only the victim would know
- Request the kidnapped victim call back from his/her cell phone
All of these were taken directly from the FBI’s website, which also has all of the contact numbers for FBI field offices in the South Texas area.
Stay Frosty, Stay Armed and Stay Dangerous!