Kidnapping SCAM in Sonoma County

The Press Democrat reports that a Sonoma County resident received a phone call with a woman pretending to be his daughter screaming that she was in trouble. A man then got on the phone demanding $10,000 saying the daughter had witnessed a murder and would be killed unless the father paid the ransom.

The man told him to stay on phone while getting the money. He withdrew the money from his account. Fortunately he was able to make contact with a Sonoma County Sheriff who was able to confirm his daughter was safe and that the call was a scam before he turned over the money.

Scammers frequently use such techniques and can even make it look like they are calling from a loved one’s phone. The calls are usually threatening saying the loved one has been kidnapped, arrested and needs money for bail or a defense or is stranded in some foreign country. If you receive such a call you should contact local law enforcement and try to call your loved one directly to determine if they are safe.

For full story see https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/9036165-181/sonoma-county-father-victim-of