'Kidnapped Daughter' Alive & Well At Sports Practice In Marin

PETALUMA, CA – A mother went to the Petaluma Police Department this afternoon after reportedly receiving a telephone call -- complete with background cries for help --from an unidentified man, who claimed he abducted her 17-year-old daughter and wanted money, according to authorities.

The woman went to the station at about 3 p.m. and told officials that during the call she could hear a female voice, in the background, yelling for help and how the caller demanded "all of the money" from her bank account "or he would harm the daughter," Petaluma police said.

"The girl was subsequently discovered to be alive and well, attending sports practice at her school in Marin County as expected," Lt. Ed Crosby, adding that the department takes seriously kidnapping reports and did investigate the claimed abduction, which turned out to be bogus.

However, Crosby said, law enforcement wants to raise community awareness of this particular scam that "is becoming more prevalent across the country."

"The 'kidnapping scam' is the latest iteration of scams meant to cause victims extreme distress as a means of coercing them out of their money," Crosby said. "Other variations include a caller posing as a lawyer or law enforcement demanding bail money for a jailed loved one, or the 'hitman scam,' in which an anonymous assassin claims to have been contracted to kill the victim unless the victim pays them off."

Many such "virtual kidnapping" calls originate overseas and make use of “spoofed” or false phone numbers, which make the suspects’ caller IDs unreliable, police said.

The agency said area residents would be prudent to become familiar with such extortion attempts to reduce chances of being victimized. This FBI link on the subject may prove helpful to residents, Crosby said.

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