BBB warns of 'virtual kidnapping' calls that spoof a relative's number
The Better Business Bureau in Chattanooga says fake hostage calls are increasing, sometimes with staged screaming or cloned voices. Hanging up and checking directly with the relative is the key step.
In short
- What happened?
- According to the Chattanooga BBB, 'virtual kidnapping' calls are rising. Callers fake a relative's number, stage screaming and sometimes use AI-cloned voices to demand an urgent ransom.
- What was the warning sign?
- The caller refuses to let you hang up or call your relative back, and demands secrecy and immediate payment.
- What can you do?
- Hang up and call your family member using your normal contacts, or contact someone near them. Don't send money until you have confirmed the situation, and report the call to the police.
What happened
According to a column by the president of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in Chattanooga, published in the Chattanooga Times Free Press, so-called "virtual kidnapping" calls are on the rise. The column says several law enforcement agencies in Tennessee have issued public warnings after spikes in reports from residents who received similar calls.
The column describes one case reported to BBB Scam Tracker. A woman in Florida who lives with her mother received a call in the middle of the night that appeared to come from her mother's number. The caller said her mother had been kidnapped, and noises in the background suggested someone was being held. The call turned out to be a hoax.
The BBB says the scheme relies on intimidation, urgency and pressure, so that people act before they can check the facts. It lists several elements: caller ID spoofing, which can make a relative's name or number appear on screen; a script with crying or screaming in the background, followed by an aggressive caller making threats; in some cases AI voice cloning, using a short clip taken from public social media videos; and demands for quick payment by gift cards, cryptocurrency or payment apps.
Warning signs
- The caller will not let you hang up or call your relative back.
- They demand total secrecy and immediate payment.
- They cannot give specific details about your relative that are not already public online.
- Payment is requested by gift cards, cryptocurrency or peer-to-peer payment apps.
- The call shows a family member's name or number, which the BBB says can be faked.
What families can do
- Hang up, then call your family member using your normal contact list, or contact someone physically near them, such as a school, a coworker or a spouse.
- Do not give personal details or send money after an unexpected call until you have confirmed the situation. The BBB says the supposed hostage is almost certainly safe and unaware of the call.
- Report the call to your local police or sheriff's office, and consider sharing it on BBB Scam Tracker.
- Be cautious with distressing photos sent by text. The BBB notes that AI makes it easy to alter someone's likeness.
- Agree a plan in advance with relatives, such as who to call first if something like this happens, so nobody has to decide under pressure.
QuietGuard, our Android phone safety app, lets only people you name as trusted ring through, and other calls stay quiet and are listed in Activity. It cannot tell you whether a call from a trusted number is genuine, and it does not stop text messages, so the habit of hanging up and checking directly remains the most important protection here.
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