Missing Persons ScamsScams A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime -  is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost.

How Scams Work

A SCARSSCARS SCARS - Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc. A government registered crime victims' assistance & crime prevention nonprofit organization based in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. SCARS supports the victims of scams worldwide and through its partners in more than 60 countries around the world. Incorporated in 2015, its team has 30 years of continuous experience educating and supporting scam victims. Visit www.AgainstScams.org to learn more about SCARS. Special Report

New Type of Cyber-Enabled FraudFraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain (money or other assets), or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compensation) or criminal law (e.g., a fraud perpetrator may be prosecuted and imprisoned by governmental authorities), or it may cause no loss of money, property, or legal right but still be an element of another civil or criminal wrong. The purpose of fraud may be monetary gain or other benefits, for example by obtaining a passport, travel document, or driver's license, or mortgage fraud, where the perpetrator may attempt to qualify for a mortgage by way of false statements. A fraud can also be a hoax, which is a distinct concept that involves deliberate deception without the intention of gain or of materially damaging or depriving a victim. – Missing Person Scams

Scammers Target Families Who Post Missing Persons on Social Media

You see it every day on Facebook or other social media platforms. A family member posts that their teenager has disappeared or senior parent has not returned from a trip out of the house. The goal, of course, is to crowdsource the missing person’s recovery.

Here’s where the fraudsterFraudster A Scammer or Fraudster is someone that engages in deception to obtain money or achieve another objective. They are criminals that attempt to deceive a victim into sending more or performing some other activity that benefits the scammer. can come in: after identifying a missing person on social media, scammers research details of the disappearance, the missing person, and the missing person’s family. The scammers often obtain telephone numbers for the family members on social media and use third-party calling or messaging appsApps Applications or Apps An application (software), commonly referred to as an ‘app’ is a program on a computer, tablet, mobile phone or device. Apps are designed for specific tasks, including checking the weather, accessing the internet, looking at photos, playing media, mobile banking, etc. Many apps can access the internet if needed and can be downloaded (used) either for a price or for free. Apps are a major point of vulnerability on all devices. Some are designed to be malicious, such as logging keystrokes or activity, and others can even transport malware. Always be careful about any app you are thinking about installing. to call to make ransomRansom A ransom is an amount of money or other assets of value that is paid for blackmail, extortion, or under other threats or coercion. The ransom is usually paid in cash or now in cryptocurrency. Online blackmail, sextortion, and ransomware all demand ransoms to avoid negative outcomes. demands.

The demand usually ranges from $5,000 to $10,000, with $7,000 being a common amount. Generally, offenders do not offer proof of lifeProof of Life Proof of Life Photos or Sign Photos are photos that scammers use to prove they are real. These are typically photoshopped photos to add some text or information to a previously stolen photo of the individual being used for the scam. The idea is that a victim requests proof with a photo showing a newspaper or some phrases and the scammer would then take it and share it with the victim. But as always, it is just more deception., although there is at least one instance where the scammerScammer A Scammer or Fraudster is someone that engages in deception to obtain money or achieve another objective. They are criminals that attempt to deceive a victim into sending more or performing some other activity that benefits the scammer. called the family pretending to be the victim. Offenders often claim the missing person is ill or injured, adding to the urgency of the situation and putting additional pressure on family members to pay the ransom.

Warning

SCARS and the FBIFBI FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, the FBI is also a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and reports to both the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence. A leading U.S. counter-terrorism, counterintelligence, and criminal investigative organization, the FBI has jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crimes, including financial fraud. warns the public of scammers seeking to extort family members of missing persons. These actors identify missing persons through social media posts and gather information about the missing person and family to legitimize their ransom demands without ever having physical contact with the missing person.

What Is A Missing Person ScamScam A Scam is a confidence trick - a crime -  is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust through deception. Scams or confidence tricks exploit victims using their credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, irresponsibility, or greed and exploiting that. Researchers have defined confidence tricks as "a distinctive species of fraudulent conduct ... intending to further voluntary exchanges that are not mutually beneficial", as they "benefit con operators ('con men' - criminals) at the expense of their victims (the 'marks')". A scam is a crime even if no money was lost.

The FBI defines this type of extortion as a range of telephonic coercion schemes for extorting quick ransom payments from the families of missing persons who are manipulated to believe their loved one has been abducted, are at risk of being abducted, or is in imminent danger. Additionally, the FBI defines social media as websites and mobile applicationsApplications Applications or Apps An application (software), commonly referred to as an ‘app’ is a program on a computer, tablet, mobile phone or device. Apps are designed for specific tasks, including checking the weather, accessing the internet, looking at photos, playing media, mobile banking, etc. Many apps can access the internet if needed and can be downloaded (used) either for a price or for free. Apps are a major point of vulnerability on all devices. Some are designed to be malicious, such as logging keystrokes or activity, and others can even transport malware. Always be careful about any app you are thinking about installing. that allow users to create and share content or to participate in social networking, or find people with similar interests.

This means it can come through the phone, email, messaging, or other means.

How Does A Missing Persons Scam Work?

It is common for scammers to only request small amounts of money as missing person scams tend to be a quick cash-grab. In addition to small requests, scammers tend to express some level of urgency in the payment by claiming the victim is either injured or sick.

In August 2020, a scammer targeted a mother who reported her 13-year-old daughter as missing on social media. The mother posted information on social media seeking assistance; however, that information was eventually used against her. Included in the online post was the mother’s personal phone number. According to the FBI’s Internet Crimes Complaint Center, scammers took advantage of this by calling the mother, claiming they had her daughter and required some ransom for her safe return. In the past, scammers have used this pressure tactic to demand ransom sums ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. Thankfully, the 13-year-old daughter had never actually been abducted and safely returned home before the scammers could capitalize on the family’s concern.

Scammer Methodologies

While scammers’ use of social media to target victims is known, its use to extort vulnerable families of missing persons is lesser-known. After identifying a missing person on social media, scammers research details of the disappearance, the missing person, and the missing person’s family. The scammers often obtain telephone numbers for the family members on social media and use third-party calling or messaging applications to make ransom demands to disguise their true telephone number. The criminalCriminal A criminal is any person who through a decision or act engages in a crime. This can be complicated, as many people break laws unknowingly, however, in our context, it is a person who makes a decision to engage in unlawful acts or to place themselves with others who do this. A criminal always has the ability to decide not to break the law, or if they initially engage in crime to stop doing it, but instead continues. actor generally requests between $5,000 and $10,000 in ransom, with $7,000 requested in multiple instances.

These scammers use social media or networks to identify, initiate contact, and gain access to families of missing persons. The offenders usually do not offer proof of life. However, in one instance, an accomplice made telephone calls to family members claiming to be the missing person. Offenders often claim the missing person is ill or injured, adding to the urgency of the situation and putting additional pressure on family members to pay the ransom.

Since the onset of COVID-19 nationwide stay-at-home orders, law enforcement has received large numbers of reports of scammers targeting families who have posted on social media about their missing family members.

Although scammers used social media to identify victims prior to the pandemic, the effects of COVID-19 on families’ well-being are an added vulnerability and an additional opportunity for these actors to extort families of missing persons.

More Examples

In May 2020, a father reported his son missing to law enforcement. The child’s family created social media posts seeking assistance in locating their child, after which the child’s father received a text message demanding ransom.

In May 2018, a family reported an 18-year-old woman as missing. Local media reported the disappearance and family members posted a request for information on her disappearance to social media, along with a personal telephone number. Individuals claiming to have abducted the woman contacted the family telephonically at the provided personal number. One of the scammers claimed to be the victim and spoke to family members, saying they were drugged, threatened with physical assault, and taken to another state. Subsequent investigation revealed the missing woman was never abducted and was eventually found unharmed.

How Can Families Protect Themselves From These Fraudulent Requests?

Although these scams provide an initial wave of hope to the victim’s families, it is recommended to approach these online encounters with caution and let law enforcement handle the situation.

If you are the target or victim of an extortion attempt related to a missing person:

• Contact your local law enforcement agency or your local FBI field office – contact information can be found at (www.fbi.gov) immediately, just like any other kidnapping or ransom crime
• Keep all original documentation, emails, text messages, and logs of communication with the subjects. Do not delete anything before law enforcement is able to review it
• Tell law enforcement everything about the online encounters—it may be embarrassing for the parent or partner of a missing person, but it is necessary to find the offenders. When reporting online scams, be as descriptive as possible in the complaint form by providing:
  • Name and/or user name of the subject
    email addresses and telephone numbers used by the subject
  • Web sites used by the subject
  • Description of all interactions with the subjects
• Report this crime to the FBI first by phone, then other the FTC & Anyscam.com when it is determined to be a scam

If you are the victim of any online fraud, you should also report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or call your FBI local office.