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Darien Police Warn Families Of Kidnapping Phone Scam

DARIEN, Conn. -- A Darien family was the target of a phone scam that said their son had been kidnapped and held for ransom on Wednesday, March 3, according to police authorities. 

Darien police are warning residents about a kidnapping phone scam.

Darien police are warning residents about a kidnapping phone scam.

Photo Credit: Casey Donahue, File

Scammers use this ploy to get personal and financial information, police said. Often, the victims are instructed to not hang up the phone, take out a large sum of cash and wire the money to a location, police said. 

The target of Wednesday's scam said they could hear a crying voice in the background, Darien Police said. 

Darien Police are warning residents to beware of this and other phone scams. They have provided the following tips to keep residents safe:

  • Memorize or keep a written list of family cell phone numbers that can be easily accessed if your cell phone is in use.
  • Do not provide family information over the telephone.
  • Attempt to identify the location of the caller as well as the family member that has purportedly been kidnapped.
  • Ask specific questions to assess the validity of the call. Asking the hostage to describe your family member may prompt the caller to stop the scam and hang up. 
  • Notify the local police as soon as possible, even when instructed not to. 
  • Save the incoming telephone number along with any text messages, voicemails, or photographs sent by the caller.

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