Sheriff Warns of Hostage Scam

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office handled several abduction scams this week. Several victims reported that an individual called claiming to have been in an accident with someone related to them. The scammer claimed they were illegal immigrants and did not want to go to the hospital or involve the police. The scammers then claimed they were holding the victim’s relative hostage until money was wired to the scammer.

In one case the victim heard a female screaming in the background and believed it was his wife, who the scammer said he was holding hostage.

In another case the scammer initially called the victim’s son and was able to keep him on the phone, gathering information from him, and then relaying it to the victim on another phone. This gave the victim the perception that his son was actually being held hostage and prompted the victim to wire the scammer money.

The victims reported the scammer called from a phone number with a local area code and that the scammer knew personal information about them, including vehicle information and personal names. Victims also reported the scammers were persistent and continued to call their phones.

Sheriff Chuck Jenkins, who received a call directly from one of the victims commented, “these are cases of criminal extortion and are very alarming to the families and victims receiving the calls. This reaches a new level of seriousness to threats of harming individuals unless large sums of money are paid. These go beyond the term scam and in today’s society you have to believe that every such threat is real and respond accordingly. We will make every effort to identify and locate those involved and responsible for these crimes.”

The Sheriff’s Office is advising citizens not to answer calls from unknown phone numbers and to never wire money to someone they don’t know. Citizens should be on the alert for telemarketing scams and to report suspicious activity immediately to their local law enforcement agency. Most cell phones are able to dial 911 while on another call; do not be afraid to use this feature in the event of an emergency. For additional tips about how to protect yourself from some of the most common telemarketing schemes visit http://www.fbi.gov/scams-safety/fraud.