A chilling new scam has been tricking people into believing their loved ones have been kidnapped, using their real phone numbers to convince victims the threat is genuine.
Caitlin Sarian, who goes by the name Cybersecuritygirl on social media, recently shared a shocking video from a wife and mother on TikTok warning of a detailed spoofing scam targeting her husband.
Phone spoofing is when someone fakes the caller ID to make it look like a phone call is coming from a different number than the one actually being used.
It’s often used by scammers to trick people into thinking the call is from a trusted source, like a bank or a friend, to deceive them or steal personal information.
In this case, however, TikTok user Sloan Dalley revealed that a scammer called her husband, making it appear that the call came from Dalley, and then claimed she had been taken hostage.
According to Dalley, the scammer threatened to fatally shoot her if the husband did not immediately transfer a ransom payment using the digital banking app Zelle.
Fortunately, the scammer didn’t get away with any money, after a family friend working in the FBI gave Dalley’s husband key advice that prevented the crime from succeeding.
However, both Sarian and Dalley are now warning the public that these calls are so realistic anyone could fall for them, especially the elderly.
Sloan Dalley shared a video on TikTok that warned of a new scam that tricks people into thinking their loved ones are calling and have been kidnapped
The phone spoofing scammer allegedly threatened to kill Dalley if her husband did not transfer money using the app Zelle
Dalley’s husband was able to sniff out the scam after texting their friend in the FBI, who immediately told him to keep the criminal on the phone for as long as possible without handing over any money.
Their FBI contact added that Dalley’s husband also demand to speak with her if she had really been kidnapped, which the scammer could not do since the entire situation was fake.
While her husband stalled for time on the phone, Dalley revealed that their friend was able to track her down at the hospital she was visiting for a doctor’s appointment.
‘My husband hung up and called me right back and I answered, and he was like freaking out,’ Dalley revealed in her TikTok video in July.
‘The scariest part about all of this is that they call from your number, and they knew everybody’s names, so please spread the word that this is a new scam, because it is very realistic. It is very terrifying,’ she added.
While the Dalleys were able to escape thanks to their friend in law enforcement, Sarian revealed some important steps anyone with a smartphone can take right away to protect themselves from falling victim to this kidnapping hoax.
Sarian said the first thing everyone should do is set up a secure pin number with their phone service carrier.
‘Call your carrier and turn on the anti-spoofing protection,’ she continued in a video on Instagram.
The FBI warned that more than $16 billion was stolen in 2024, mainly through scams involving data breaches, spoofing, and extortion
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) revealed in April that there was a 33-percent increase in suspected internet crimes from 2023 to 2024.
One of the most common scams was phishing/spoofing attacks, along with extortion and personal data breaches.
In total, federal officials reported that more than $16 billion was stolen last year because of these crimes.
‘Be careful with what information you share online or on social media,’ the agency warned in a statement about spoofing scams.
‘By openly sharing things like pet names, schools you attended, family members, and your birthday, you can give a scammer all the information they need to guess your password or answer your security questions,’ officials added.
According to the FBI’s 2024 report, residents in California, Florida, and Texas filed the most complaints related to scammers attempting to extort money.
Moreover, people over the age of 60 were the likeliest targets, and these victims lost approximately $5 billion due to scam callers and emails last year.
Law enforcement officials have added that the best way to defend against these types of scams is to immediately hang up on any suspicious call and immediately verify if the person or business they’re claiming to be really called you.
