Phone scammers are back at playing on the heartstrings of family members, the Boston Police say.
The department reports it has received many complaints about phone calls wherein the caller tells a parent or relative — often a grandparent, based on previous Herald reporting — in the Boston area that their child is being held hostage and will only be released if the parent or relative pays a ransom.
“During the ransom call, children are heard crying in the background, a frequent tactic used in prior calls of this nature that have targeted the elderly,” the BPD wrote in a statement on the trend.
The BPD offered some tips on how to avoid being hoaxed. First, the target should ask the caller for specific information about the person, including having them describe the child or relative. If the caller can’t, then it’s a confirmed hoax. The target can also ask for a description of where the family member is located. The target should be sure to write down the phone number of the call or text to give to the police.
The target should then try to contact the person reported as abducted to see if they’re actually safe and then contact the police immediately. In addition to contacting local police, a scam victim should report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, at 1(877) FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or TTY 1-866-653-4261 or visit their website at: Consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts.