Three arrested in Spain for virtual kidnap scam

Guardia Civil patrol vehicle

Three arrested in Spain for virtual kidnap scam. credit: SubstanceTproductions/Shutterstock.com

Three people have been arrested in Zaragoza, Spain for a virtual kidnap attempt on a family living in Ibiza.

An investigation has led to the arrest of three people involved in a virtual kidnapping scam. The perpetrators were said to have carried out the scam on a family in Ibiza.

The scam is put into action when one of the scammers contacts a person saying a family member has been kidnapped. The message will sometimes include a voice in the background saying for example, “Mum I need your help”,

The scammers then ask the victim’s family for an amount to free the kidnapped person. In the case of the family in Ibiza, the amount was 11,000 euros. Of course, a kidnap hasn’t taken place, it is all an elaborate hoax.

Police are said to be investigating twenty complaints in Aragon of a similar scam.

During the call, the scammer doesn’t allow time for the person to check out the story and demands that the ransom is paid quickly through a money transfer online.

Police have advised people if they receive such calls to make an excuse to hang up so that they can verify whether or not their family member is where he or she should be. The police said not to be afraid to hang up because if the call was a genuine kidnap attempt the kidnappers would call back.

It’s also important they said not to give any personal or bank details to the callers.

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Written by

Julia Cameron

Julia is an ex-pat writer from Brighton living in a small village close to the Andalucian town of Priego de Cordoba. When she's not working she enjoys reading, tracing her ancestry and swimming. She especially loves the summer when she can get down to the coast and chill on the beach.

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