This scam is pretty devious. A loved one’s telephone number will show on your phone’s CID. You hear your loved one claiming they are in deep trouble (arrest, kidnapping, extortion), and they need your help to get out of trouble. They may even promise to pay you back if you “lend” them the money. When you ask your loved one about this, they will deny it has ever happened and may even form a rift between the two. So what is happening here? There is a voice hijack scam.
First, the bad actor will clone your loved one’s voice. They just need 30 seconds of a clear voice for this to work. Most voicemail announcements are longer than that. Now that they have your voice, they will now spoof your loved one’s telephone number. Basically, they are using an unethical SIP? provider that allows for changing of phone numbers that are not yours. While I don’t know of such companies, I am sure the bad actor can find it well enough through their connections with other bad actors.
So how do you prevent yourself from being a victim of this scam? Well, while the caller has you on the phone, use bluetooth or wired earphones, and send an SMS? message to said loved one, and ask them to verify the problem. If they reply with a perplexed response, then they are likely not in trouble. You can hang up on the caller. If that is not an option, tell the loved one that you are going to have to call back. If they threaten that they will be murdered if you hang up without resolving the issue, then it is definitely a scam. Kidnappers will not murder the people they kidnapped so quickly while you check a few accounts to consolidate so you can pay the ransom. You do need to speak with your financial advisor. They will insist they will call your back in 30 minutes which should be enough time to get the money together. This is when you can call the loved one.