Just this past month, police have been getting reports of ransom calls from worried parents.
Dubbed the kidnapping scam, this terrifying new crime trend is taking our phone lines hostage.
On 22 June, Brickfields police chief Amihizam Abdul Shukor held a press conference warning parents not to fall for the latest fraud.
The station had already gotten four reports regarding a kidnapping scam targeting Klang Valley schoolchildren between June 12 and June 15.
Thankfully, no one’s fallen for it yet.
And with the cases going viral, parents now know better.
Fake Ransom Calls Go Viral on Social Media
The first case went viral on Facebook when fellow mum, Marlene Zahari, posted a warning.
She shared her timeline about receiving a phone call claiming they were holding her son hostage.
The perps demanded a heavy ransom in exchange for his safety but she was not fooled.
A quick check-in revealed that her son was fine and safe.
That was when she realised it was all a con.
In another case, the mum had recorded the entire ransom call and posted it on Tiktok. It’s no surprise the video went viral.
“Pay the ransom if you want your child to be safe. Prepare RM50,000”, demanded the perp.
But Hafiza Hassan, who was performing her haj at the time surprisingly kept her cool.
Instead, she asked the kidnappers to confirm the name of her son which they were never able to do.
Deterred by such steadfastness, they hung up, knowing full well they were bested.
This may have been humorous to fellow netizens, an incompetent criminal playing at a crime syndicate.
But it turns out this is not an isolated incident.
In fact, these Malaysian con artists may have been inspired by a similar case from the U.S back in May 2023.
That case involved a far more sinister plot, involving artificial intelligence and voice alteration technology.
Jennifer DeStefano was one such victim of this scam.
She received a ransom call while her daughter was away on a ski trip.
The scammers had apparently cloned her daughter’s voice so that at first, she thought the whole thing had been real.
But just like the previous story, a quick phone call revealed that it was all a fraud.
To make sure you don’t fall for these latest kidnapping scams, here’s what we suggest.
How to Deal with Fake Ransom Calls
Never Reveal Full Name on Social Media
Not yours, your children, or your spouse’s. Ensure that your relatives don’t do so either.
This includes WhatsApp and all other social media apps.
Kidnappers can easily ascertain a lot of information from just one personal post.
So, beware of ‘sharenting’.
Let Your Kids Carry a Handphone
The quickest way to ensure the safety of your kids is by having an instant and convenient means of communication.
Check with your child’s school first if they are allowed to carry a phone.
Settle on a compromise for all parties.
Keep Your Cool
Most people become such easy targets of fraud because they panic too easily.
Always keep a level head when dealing with alarming news and phone calls.
Confirm identities before doing anything rash that you can’t take back.
Don’t lose your money to scammers.
Be vigilant. Be smart.
You’ve got this, parents!
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