Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar has issued an advisory, urging people to be cautious against virtual kidnapping scams where fraudsters impersonate police officers and play distress audio of children to demand ransom.
“If they mention your children's names and play the sound of them crying, do not panic or get mentally disturbed. Anxiety, fear.. these two are turning into boons for cybercriminals,” the officer said in a post on X.
He said vigilance along with awareness is essential to put a check on these crimes.
“Under no circumstances should you share personal details of your children or relatives on social media. If you receive such threatening calls, immediately inform the local police. Call the helpline number 1930 or file a complaint on the National Cyber Crime Portal cybercrime.gov.in,” he added.
The officer also posted a telephonic conversation between a fraudster posing as a police officer and father of a child.
What is virtual kidnapping?
Virtual kidnapping or cyber kidnapping is a form of cyber crime where where scammers use threats and manipulation to trick victims into paying a ransom to save their loved ones, especially children, who they believe are in danger.
They use advanced technology like AI to imitate the voice of the child, making their demands more convincing and frightening. The scammers usually find information about the victim by searching through social media, the internet, or the dark web.
Last year, Goa Police claimed they had received a series of complaints from people about calls claiming their children have been kidnapped or are in cop custody.
“Do not panic if someone calls you from other countries with codes such as +92, saying that your child has been kidnapped,” SP Rahul Gupta had said. “Check on your child. Then report to the local police station in case of any apprehensions.”
