The Hartford Police Department is warning residents to be aware of a new phone scam, where the caller tells the victim that their adult child has been kidnapped, and will be killed if they don't wire ransom money via Western Union.
Hartford Deputy Police Chief Brian Foley said there have been dozens of bogus ransom calls placed in the past two weeks, and is specifically targeting Hispanic immigrant families. "They might not have trust to call the police department, so they might report it to us," Foley said. "They might not understand how our systems work over here, so we really feel for them, and are reaching out to them especially."
Foley said this phone scam is similar to other ransom scams in the past, with one exception: this time, the scammer appears to be targeting people who have recently been arrested, or are wanted by police.
"Let me give you an example," Foley said. "Two weeks ago, we did a drug raid in the South End. Within an hour of the person getting arrested, that person's family was contacted by these people, saying that the police don't have him; he's actually in their custody; and they are going to kill him if they don't wire them money by Western Union."
Foley said the calls are coming from outside of the country. The Hartford Police Department said that residents who receive such a call should assume it is a hoax, remain calm, and call 911 immediately.
