At least three parents of students enrolled in Boston public schools received phone calls from someone attempting to trick them into paying ransom by making false claims about kidnapping their children. As a result, Boston Police issued a community alert warning parents of the kidnapping scam on Saturday.
The scammers asked the parents to submit money through Western Union since they knew details about the parent’s child, including their name, according to a statement from Boston police. Police didn’t recognize the parents or say whether any of them had paid cash to the tricksters.
According to the police, scammers frequently target parents and grandparents of the children. The police added that Scammers often looked through social media for any information that would give them the ability to persuade the parents. Parents are warned to be cautious when sharing personal information publicly on social media and are encouraged to discuss safety with their children.
The statement advised parents to promptly report any scams to the authorities. They asked the people to hang up the phone as soon as they got a scam call and not to respond to any shady emails, calls, or texts. “Never respond to any urgent messages requesting money, particularly if the sender uses Western Union, gift cards, or cryptocurrency to do so.
