Solon Father Held At Gunpoint? Scammers Said So

SOLON, OH — Scam artists claimed to be holding a 21-year-old Solon resident's father hostage recently. The scammers told the man that they had a gun to his father's head and demanded $900 as ransom.

The 21-year-old was driving down a highway in Pennsylvania on April 18 when he got a call from a man he didn't know. The man said he had taken the 21-year-old's father hostage. He said if the Solon resident didn't wire the man $900, he would kill the father.

The 21-year-old drove to the nearest Walmart and wired $900 to Puerto Rico. It was only then that he was able to get off the phone and call his father.

Once he made contact with his dad, he realized he had been duped. His father was never a hostage. The call was part of a scam.

This is one of the more unique scams pulled on a Northeast Ohioan. The Cuyahoga County Department of Consumer Affairs has a list of common scams and how to respond to them — this variety of scam is not listed.

That said, the old rules apply: whenever possible reach out to a loved one that has supposedly been imprisoned, hospitalized or, even, taken hostage. If someone is keeping you on the phone, try shooting a text message to that person, or sending an email.

For more information on how to deal with scams, click here.

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