Osceola County Sheriff’s deputies on Monday warned of a kidnapping scam being undertaken by Spanish-speaking individuals.
Deputies said, they have taken six reports since May 14, where individuals are called in Spanish and informed that a family member has been held against their will and demanding that money be sent to an undisclosed bank account in Puerto Rico.
In three of the five cases over the week-end, the caller states the family member was in a car accident and injured. The caller threatened to further harm the family member if the money is not sent immediately. Two of the calls claimed the caller had kidnapped a family member and demanded money.
Deputies said, all of the calls had similar phone numbers and all demanded money be sent to Puerto Rico.
If you receive a similar call, remain calm and contact your family member immediately, deputies said. If you are unable to contact your family member, call law enforcement immediately.
Deputies are also encouraging the public to attempt to verify the authenticity of the caller’s claim by asking questions to verify the identity of the kidnapped victim. Even if you have confirmed your family member is safe, report the incident to law enforcement. When you report the incident, provide law enforcement with the following: confirmation your family member is safe, specific demands made by the caller, gender and accent of the caller, date, time and place the caller arranged for the ransom to be paid and any other information that will be helpful in locating the caller.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office at (407) 348-2222 or Crimeline at (800) 423-TIPS (8477). Calls made to Crimeline remain anonymous, and tips that lead to the felony arrest of suspects and/or the recovery of stolen property and drugs are eligible for cash rewards of up to $1,000 dollars.
