Phone scam
San Luis police warn of threatening calls
Police in San Luis are warning the public about fraudulent telephone kidnapping scams — which are believed to be originating in Mexico — that many city residents have received.
Spokesman Sgt. Marco Santana, said more than eight of these types of fake phone calls were reported to the San Luis Police Department Wednesday morning.
In one of these kidnapping scam phone calls, a person receives a phone call from someone who says a family member is being held hostage, and the caller threatens to hurt or kill the hostage unless money is wired to him.
Later, after it is too late, family members learn that their loved one was never kidnapped, and they had been scammed out of a large amount of money.
“These types of fraudulent calls have been happening for years,” Santana said. “It just seems like it is happening more frequently now.”
In one of the fake phone calls reported to San Luis police, Santana said the call recipient told officers that the scammer, who had a Mexican accent, pleaded for help and requested money in exchange for the safety of a family member who supposedly had been kidnapped.
The San Luis Police Dispatch actually received the same call.
“The number that appeared in the caller ID had a prefix of 333, which is more than likely from a burner phone,” Santana said.
While it is best not to answer these types of calls, Santana said knowing how to tell if the call is fake or not is the best way to avoid becoming a victim.
The calls will usually be made from a phone with an international area code, not from the phone of the person who was supposedly kidnapped.
Another way is by asking to speak to the kidnapped family member and to “listen carefully” to verify whether they really are who they are said to be.
Santana said scammers posing as IRS tax collectors also seem to be targeting the city. In explaining how the scam works, he said the caller, who claims to be with the IRS, tells you that you owe unpaid taxes, which must be paid immediately on a prepaid card or by wire transfer.
If you refuse to cooperate, Santana said the victim will be threatened with arrest or told their bank account and other property will be seized.
“This not how the IRS operates,” Santana said. “The IRS will never contact you first by phone.”
As such, San Luis police are asking residents not to give out any personal information over the phone unless they initiated the call. It is also being asked that residents make every attempt possible to contact family members so they are aware of their whereabouts instead of wiring or sending money out.
Anyone receiving a telephone call requesting any type of payment should refuse the demand and report the scam to the San Luis Police Department at 928-341-2420.