The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States has recently issued a public safety warning to alert the public about a high-tech disguised “virtual kidnapping” scam.
According to the FBI, cases of “virtual kidnapping” scams are on the rise, where scammers extort “ransom” from victims by falsely claiming that a loved one has gone missing. Those who post missing person information online are particularly vulnerable targets for these scams.
In these scams, individuals pretending to be kidnappers typically contact victims via text messages, claiming to have kidnapped their loved ones and demanding immediate payment of ransom, threatening harm to the hostage if the ransom is not paid. However, in reality, the scammers have not actually kidnapped the victims’ family members.
To make the “virtual kidnapping” scheme more convincing, scammers send victims what appear to be authentic photos or videos of their loved ones. These images and videos are actually obtained from social media or other public websites and then altered using advanced technologies like AI to create a false sense of urgency.
The FBI points out that upon closer inspection, discrepancies can often be found between the images sent by the scammers and the actual appearance of the victims’ family members. For example, the photos may lack tattoos or scars, or the body proportions may be off. Criminals may also intentionally use timed message features to limit the victims’ time to analyze the photos.
The FBI has provided some suggestions to help the public guard against such scams:
1) When posting information about missing persons online, be cautious as scammers may contact you with false information about your family members;
2) Avoid disclosing any personal information to strangers while traveling;
3) Establish a secret signal with your family members to verify identities;
4) Scammers often create a false sense of urgency, so stay calm and think critically: are the kidnappers’ demands reasonable?
5) Try to screenshot or record all photos and videos sent by the scammers;
6) Before considering paying any ransom, attempt to contact your family members to confirm the situation and avoid making immediate payments.
If you believe you or someone you know has fallen victim to a “virtual kidnapping” scam, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov). The FBI encourages the public to provide as much relevant information as possible when reporting, including phone numbers, payment information, text and voice communications, and photos, among others.