What to do if you're targeted by the kidnapping scam

Jacksonville woman speaks out after terrifying ordeal

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville woman is speaking out after she was targeted in a kidnapping scam designed to prey on your worst fear: that your loved one is going to die if you don’t pay up.

The woman—let’s call her Jennifer—got the phone call from her husband Ryan’s number Wednesday. The caller said he had a gun to her spouse’s head and would kill him unless she paid a ransom.

"At the time, I knew Ryan was traveling to Gainesville for work but hadn’t heard from him in a couple hours," Jennifer said, adding that her questions to the caller were met with additional threats.

While that was happening, she went into her employer’s office and both of them tried reaching her husband. Six minutes later, she was relieved when her husband answered his phone—he was OK.

In reality, the scammers had used technology to “spoof,” or impersonate, her husband’s number.

"I will say that looking back it seems silly and clear that it was fake, but in the moment it felt very real and was one of the most stressful experiences of my life," Jennifer said of the ordeal.

As it turns out, Jennifer found these "virtual kidnappings" aren’t exactly rare. In fact, she found multiple news reports about the scheme online, plus tips on how to protect herself in the future.

News4Jax Crime and Safety Expert Ken Jefferson said the scammers’ goal is to grab your attention and force you to make a snap decision. He said there’s one question you should ask right away.

"Where is he?" Jefferson said. "Because they are going to try and put you off because they’re not with him. In more case than not, they’re not with the person they’re trying to scam you with."

"Ask them, 'Where is he? And let me speak with him,' and then get off the phone," he added.

The next thing you should do is call your loved one, Jefferson said. That’s what Jennifer did and she was able to get hold of her husband within minutes of receiving the scam call. 

"You can call 911 immediately," Jefferson said. "They’ll send someone out to start the investigation, but what’s going to happen is that anxiety is going to kick in because it’s going to take time to get there."

He said the key is staying calm in the face of a stressful situation. Another clue that it might be a scam? If the caller tries to keep you on the line and lowers the ransom amount.

You can take steps to protect yourself right now by limiting how much information you put online, whether it’s through social media, your professional website or another source.