BPD in the Community: The Boston Police Department is aware of false phone calls in which parents/relatives of people in the Boston-area receive a hoax phone call claiming that their child was being held hostage and demanding that the parents/relatives pay 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.
People that receive a call similar to the above scheme are advised to:
- Contact the police immediately.
- Attempt to contact the person involved through your normal channels of communication to confirm their wellbeing.
- Ask the caller for specific information about where the family member is located.
- Have the caller physically describe the family member to see if the caller can provide some level of detail that could help confirm or dispel the claim.
- Note the phone number where the call or text originated and report the incident to the Boston Police Department or your local area police immediately.
In addition to filing a report with the Boston Police Department, victims are also encouraged to report any Phone/Internet Fraud Scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Please call the FTC at 1(877) FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or TTY 1-866-653-4261 or visit their website at: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts