Jacksonville, FL — A local mom and daughter say they have fallen victim to what they believe is a hostage scam. They claim they both got calls from each other’s phone numbers, from a man threatening violence if they didn’t follow his directions.
Consumer Warrior Clark Howard says this scam is nothing new and has been making it rounds over the years.
"But think about how awful these people are to create that kind of fear in a parent."
As a father himself, Clark admits that it can be hard to stay calm in a situation like that as you fear for your child’s safety. However, he says there are things you can to make sure your child is okay as he adds verification is key.
"What you've got to do is stall the people on the phone however you can, so you can verify on another line, on a neighbor's line or whatever that your child is safe."
Clark says kidnapping for ransom in the United States is so rare that the odds are nearly 100% that it’s a scammer trying to steal money.
Clark suggests verifying before you go any further if the person on the other line is demanding money.
