New Scam Can Target Anyone In Northeast Ohio

MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, OH — A Hawken School teacher's husband was held hostage on Monday. The supposed captors wanted a payment to release the man. At least, that's what a scam artist told her over the phone.

The teacher's husband was fine. She was just the latest target of a scam that claims a person's loved one is being held hostage. The callers say they've got one of your loved ones and will hold them captive until a ransom is paid. The hope is that victims will be so overwhelmed with panic they'll immediately wire the cash.

Sheryl Harris, the director of the Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs, said the "hostage" scam was being used on the West Coast a few years ago. It appears the scam has worked its way to Northeast Ohio.

"We understand people will be scared and concerned for family members, we just want them to start texting family to figure out where the [supposedly affected] person is," she told Patch. "They will find out that person is safe and sound. These scammers just want people to be in a panic so they don't think straight."

The teacher at Hawken wasn't the only person targeted by one of these scams recently. A Mayfield Heights woman was told her husband had been in a car accident and was refusing to pay for the damages. In response, the woman's husband was being held hostage until money was received for the vehicle.

"If someone is telling you that there’s some danger to you or a loved one and a payment will make it OK, that should be a red flag," Harris said. "Scammers want to panic you and then give you an immediate solution that will make that problem go away. If folks can remember that’s a red flag, we encourage them to text other family members and tell them what's going on."

Luckily, the woman's husband emailed her while the call was happening. She knew then it was a scam and contacted the police. A 21-year-old Solon man wasn't so lucky.

He was traveling out-of-state on April 18 when he got a call from an unknown number. The caller told the man they had his father in captivity and would kill him if they didn't get $900 wired to them. The 21-year-old panicked, went to the nearest Walmart and sent the money.

Only after he had sent the money did he reach out to his father and discover he was actually fine, he had never been kidnapped or held hostage.

"Don’t make a payment until you can ascertain the family member’s whereabouts," Harris said. "Do whatever you have to do to get [the scam artist] off the phone and reach out to other people. You can also call the police if you think there's a real threat to your family."

Ultimately, the so-called "hostage" scam is a variation of the "grandparent" or "IRS" scams. In all instances, callers are trying to induce panic in their victims. Once the adrenaline is pumping, thinking clearly and cogently becomes more arduous. That's when mistakes get made.

"Invariably victims tell us that after they made the payment, they noticed things were amiss. But when you’re in a panic you don’t see things straight," Harris confirmed.

The key to avoid being victimized is to remain calm and to reach out, as soon as possible, to a loved one. Do not make a payment to one of these callers until you have spoken to your loved one.

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