The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning about scam calls from someone claiming to be a family member who was kidnapped.
In a social media post, MCSO stated that several Marion County residents have called the sheriff’s office to report an alleged kidnapping. Those residents advised that they had received a call from an unknown number, and a young female who was crying had claimed that she was a family member who had been kidnapped.
After receiving these reports, MCSO deputies contacted the family members who were allegedly kidnapped and confirmed that they were all safe. Upon further investigation, the sheriff’s office learned that the scammers were calling in an attempt to obtain ransom money from the victims.
MCSO encourages all residents who receive this call to immediately hang up, and then contact the family member who was allegedly kidnapped to confirm their safety.
“You always have the power to verify in any scam attempt,” stated the Marion County Sheriff’s Office on its Facebook page.