Caller spoofed wife’s number in ransom scam, sheriff warns others not to pay

WILKES COUNTY, Ga. - The Wilkes County Sheriff’s Office are warning people about a phone scam after a man got a call that appeared to come from his wife’s cell phone and the caller claimed he had kidnapped her and wanted ransom money.

The sheriff’s office said the caller made threats and demanded money right away to try to scare the man into paying.

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Deputies and the man’s wife confirmed she was safe at her workplace, however it was then she realized her cell phone had apparently been compromised and was no longer working properly.

The Sheriff’s office says when deputies got to the home, the scammer was still on the phone demanding money and making threats.

Sheriff Darrell Powers said people should not send money to anyone making demands and should not trust caller ID just because a familiar number shows up.

The sheriff’s office said scammers can spoof phone numbers to make calls look like they are coming from someone the victim knows.

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They say you should call 911 right away and let law enforcement help verify that a loved one is safe and investigate what happened.

Sheriff Powers says these scams are becoming more convincing and use technology to make the situation seem real. He asked people to share the warning with family, friends, neighbors and older residents.

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