STAMFORD, CT — The Stamford Police Department reports a significant increase in scam calls over the past three weeks, targeting Spanish-speaking families via WhatsApp.
Scammers have been falsely claiming to have kidnapped family members to extort money. Alarmingly, some of these calls have included voice recordings of the alleged victims, heightening the distress and authenticity of the threats.
Authorities noted that the scammers explicitly instruct victims not to contact each other, exacerbating the situation. Many callers are so overwhelmed that police find it challenging to convey that these incidents are likely scams.