Some residents of Secaucus have been getting calls claiming their kids, wives or other family members have been arrested, requesting money be wired for their release.
The calls come in a variety of ways that include claims that a member of the family has been kidnapped, or is in need of medical attention.
“This is a scam,” said Councilman John Gerbasio. He has been warning residents against believing telephone scammers that have been plaguing the area.”Nobody from the police department is going to call and ask for money.”
Scammers sometimes call people at random and tell them a family member has been kidnapped. These are called virtual kidnappings.
This and other schemes are so prevalent that the Secaucus Police Department will hold a seminar at the Public Library on Feb. 25 on how to recognize a scam.
The program called “Protect Yourself from Scams & Fraud” will be held on Monday Feb. 25 from 7 to 8:45 p.m. in the library Panasonic Room.
A detective from the Secaucus Police Department will give a presentation on how to protect yourself from mail fraud, internet and phone scams.
They depend on speed and fear
In a release, the FBI said virtual kidnapping scams that ask for quick payment of ransom are on the rise around the country.
Scammers may also contact by text or social media and then a request will be made for a call-back via cell phone, according to the FBI.
Scammers are targeting people, randomly calling them, and sometimes focusing on particular ethnic groups. One scam targeting Hispanics, according to the FBI, has victims of the scam wiring money to a third party in Puerto Rico.
The FBI warning said that victims are often directed to transfer money using a wire service such as Western Union, and often ask for amounts between $600 to 1,900.
Scammers prefer wire transfers because they are hard to trace.
Another indication that it may be a scam is the fact that the caller wants the victim to remain on the telephone line until after the money transfer is complete. According to the FBI, the success of any type of virtual kidnapping scheme depends on speed and fear.
The scammers know they only have a short time to exact a ransom before the victims unravel the scam or authorities become involved.
Oddly enough, the FBI said, scammers rarely know who the victim’s loved ones are, and someone receiving the call should try to determine if the voice of the scammer sounds familiar.
How to handle the call
Before agreeing to send money, a potential victim should ask to know where their loved one is, and to request to speak to them.
Ask the scammer to have your loved one call back on his or her personal phone.
You should ask the kidnapper to describe the hostage, or if someone comes on the phone posing to be a family member, listen carefully to make sure it is the voice of your loved one.
Also try to reach this family member through social media, a phone call from a different phone or a text message to find out if he or she is all right.
Stall for time by repeating back the scammer’s request, and say that you’re writing down what they are saying. But do not get into an argument.
Don’t volunteer any information about the family member, and if you suspect a scam, call the police or the FBI to report it.
For updates on this and other stories keep checking www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Al Sullivan can be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com
