KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The FBI says a decades-old kidnapping scam is making a comeback, with recent cases in Missouri.
Investigators say it's an extortion scheme where a con-artist calls claiming to have loved ones of the victim and is threatening violence or death on them.
The caller then demands the person wire them money. The wire is typically under $2,000 and is wired to Mexico.
A St. Louis woman fell victim to this scam losing $4,800.
She says it's embarrassing but is now encouraging everybody to stop picking up their phones if they don't recognize the number.
In 2015, investigators linked a lot of these cases to people in Mexican prisons.
The FBI says they believe suspects are now "cold-calling" random numbers or finding victims on social media.
