Kissimmee police detectives are warning residents of a kidnapping scam that is still occurring targeting Hispanic citizens. The Kissimmee Police Department has taken 39 reports of the scam since January.
Kissimmee police detectives have received 18 reports this month from citizens who have received a call in Spanish informing them that a family member has been involved in an accident and has been kidnapped. The caller is demanding ransom money from the citizen and threatens to further harm the family member if the demands are not met. The caller is instilling fear into the citizen demanding they stay on the phone or the family member will be killed.
Of the 18 reports taken this month, six victims have provided the ransom the caller is requesting.
If you receive a similar call, remain calm and contact the family member immediately to ensure they are safe. If you are unable to contact the family member, call law enforcement immediately. Do not agree to provide ransom money or meet anyone to deliver ransom money.
Detectives are also asking the public to attempt to verify the caller's claim by requesting the name of the abducted family member. Even if you have verified your family member is safe, detectives are urging citizens to report the incident immediately.
When reporting the incident, be ready to provide the detectives with the following information: confirmation your family member is safe, specific demands the caller made, gender and accent of the caller, date, time and location the caller arranged for the ransom to be paid.
Anyone with information on these types of calls is asked to contact the Kissimmee Police Department's Economic Crimes Unit at 407-846-3333, send an email to seeitsayit@kissimmee.org, or call CrimeLine at 800-423-TIPS (8477).