Scammers are spoofing real phone numbers to impersonate family members and claim kidnappings, demanding immediate ransom payments via apps like Zelle. One scammer falsely claimed a wife had been taken hostage and threatened to fatally shoot her unless the husband transferred money. A family friend in the FBI advised the husband to keep the caller on the line and demand to speak with the supposed victim, which exposed the ruse. The FBI contact located the wife at a hospital where she had been for an appointment. Experts warn that realistic spoofed calls can deceive anyone, particularly older adults, and victims should verify before sending money.
Phone spoofing is when someone fakes the caller ID to make it look like a phone call is coming from a different number than the one actually being used. It's often used by scammers to trick people into thinking the call is from a trusted source, like a bank or a friend, to deceive them or steal personal information.
According to Dalley, the scammer threatened to fatally shoot her if the husband did not immediately transfer a ransom payment using the digital banking app Zelle. Fortunately, the scammer didn't get away with any money, after a family friend working in the FBI gave Dalley's husband key advice that prevented the crime from succeeding. However, both Sarian and Dalley are now warning the public that these calls are so realistic anyone could fall for them, especially the elderly.
Dalley's husband was able to sniff out the scam after texting their friend in the FBI, who immediately told him to keep the criminal on the phone for as long as possible without handing over any money. Their FBI contact added that Dalley's husband also demand to speak with her if she had really been kidnapped, which the scammer could not do since the entire situation was fake.
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