Kidnap threat a vile scam

Heartless scams are a constant threat to us and, in recent years, overseas gangs have become infamous for their attempts to ruthlessly exploit the unwary.

We are familiar with attempts to obtain our bank details by, for example, telling us we have won a fortune in some obscure foreign lottery. Nowa north-east man has spoken of his shock when an overseas fraudster claimed he had kidnapped his wife. He knew instantly it was a hoax as his wife had died years before.

The whole episode might sound cruel and farcical, but it is almost certainly another opportunistic attempt to access a vulnerable and frightened person’s bank or credit card quickly.