Boston police warn parents about fake kidnapping scam

Police in Boston are warning parents of young students about scams where the scammers falsely say the parents’ child is in danger or has been kidnapped.

According to the police department, there have been three separate incidents of kidnapping scams involving Boston Public Schools families. Parents of students enrolled in the district have received calls saying the child, referred to by name, was in danger or kidnapped, and demanded the parent send money through Western Union.

The scam is mean to trick a parent or grandparent into believing their child is in danger to pay a ransom. The scammers sometimes have very detailed information about the child to help convince the victim that the scam is real.

Parents are encouraged to be careful when posting information on social media, talk to their children about online privacy, report scams to police immediately and hang up or do not reply to scam calls or messages demanding money through Western Union, gift cards or cryptocurrency.