Man loses more than $4,000 after scammers spoof father’s number, claim parents are at gunpoint

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) - A man lost thousands of dollars after getting a call that appeared to come from his father’s phone number, with a stranger claiming his parents were being held at gunpoint.

Curtis Indyke was asleep around 11:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 when he got a call that appeared to be from his dad, who lives in Virginia. Indyke lives in Arizona.

“I answer the phone and it’s not my dad. It’s some other male saying he has my parents basically at gunpoint,” Indyke said.

The caller told him to pay or his parents would be shot.

While still on the phone, Indyke said he texted 911 to report his parents were being held hostage in Virginia. The person who claimed to be holding Indyke’s parents hostage continued making threats. In a panic, Indyke sent more than $4,000 through Apple Pay to two separate phone numbers.

“And they also wanted $1,000 worth of crypto gift cards, which I’ve never even heard of. I’m in IT and I’ve never even heard of them,” Indyke said.

Indyke said his bank blocked that purchase.

After the call ended, Indyke called his dad’s number back, but no one answered.

“But then I got scared because, what if the guy had his phone still?” Indyke said.

Police in Virginia later went to Indyke’s parents’ home for a welfare check and they were safe.

“I mean, everybody was just shocked about it,” Indyke said.

Dawn Alexander, a network specialist for AARP Arizona, said the scammers followed a known playbook.

“It feels like there’s an uptick,” Alexander said. “What they’re trying to do is get you in a heightened state for you to react. Spoofing is a very dangerous game right now because it could be anyone from a scammer saying they’re with Medicare, with your hospital, you name it.”

Indyke said Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance immediately came to mind. She is the mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie.

“Especially in Arizona, we know unfortunately about Nancy, the terrible case of Nancy Guthrie. You know, that was my first thought, is, ‘Oh my God, is this happening to me now?’” Indyke said.

Indyke has advice to anyone who might be a victim of a similar scam.

“You need to take a second, pause before you react. You need to think about it, and the safest thing to do is to hang up and call whoever they say that they have,” Indyke said.

Indyke said the $4,000 payment is still pending and that he plans to file a fraud claim once it clears in hopes of getting his money back.

Alexander said these scams used to target primarily older adults, but with artificial intelligence, anyone can become a victim.