Warning about Virtual Kidnappings in Florida

Ferfal,

I loved your 2 books, they were both very helpful. It was worth the wait to get your Bugging out and Relocating book.
I know you mentioned about virtual kidnappings crossing the South American borders into the USA . welI I just received a warning from the pinellas county (Florida, next to Tampa) sheriffs office warning that a guy has been calling up people pretending to be a paramedic asking for the next of kin for the fake kidnap victim. then once he gets to the person he was calling for he says he has kidnapped the loved one and wants so much money to return them. I just wanted you to get the word out to warn others this is happening in USA so beware.
J-

Thanks J for the heads up.
The method sounds exactly like the ones I’ve seen used in Argentina many times. There are variations sometimes but the one you explain is very typical: A family member suffering an accident, someone theoretically calling from the hospital or police station. Sometimes they will call and tell they have your son or daughter hurt and unable to talk just right next to them. “Is Mike ok?” There, you just gave them your son’s name without even realizing it. They are very good at this, very convincing. They call asking to verify if they got the right number, the right name, the right address. Little by little they get important information out of you.
Sometimes they call a few days ahead of time pretending to work for consulting companies asking various questions. Again, its just work they do that will be used later against you. Sometimes its people that actually know the victim and know he’s maybe traveling or otherwise unable to be contacted.
Its important to be very careful with children. I heard a recording from a convict doing this kind of crime even from within prison. He would randomly call numbers and get information. During one call he contacts a small child, in just seconds the child tells his own name, his parents, if he’s home alone or not and even where he lives.
Be careful out there folks. Scams happen everywhere. Last year someone called me pretending to be from my internet provider company warning me about a virus and calling to help me install an anti-virus program, most likely a Trojan program that would give them access to my computer. “Really? Since you are my internet provider, what’s my name and where do I live?” I had a good laugh with that guy. He wasn’t very good and he got nervous and hanged up as soon as he saw I knew what he was up to.
FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”.