A mother and her 4-year-old son were never in danger, Manchester police said of an Amber Alert that appears to be a “sophisticated phone scam.”
The alert was issued Tuesday evening for Alis Marie Roman-Salgado, 26, and her son, Armani Neptali Molina, 4, who were reported missing “under suspicious circumstances,” police said in a news release.
Around 6:30 p.m., Manchester police issued an updated statement saying the pair had been found safe in the Queen City.
Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg said his department received a call around 2:20 p.m. from someone concerned about a woman who left the area with her son.
As police investigated, they determined the mother and son could possibly be in danger, and the FBI was notified. The Amber Alert was issued around 5:30 p.m.
An individual called police after seeing the car described in the alert, and officers responded and located the mother and child.
On Wednesday, police said further investigation shows the incident that triggered the alert was a scam.
“Our detectives now believe that this incident was actually a sophisticated phone scam,” Manchester police said Wednesday. “There is no indication that the mother and child were in danger.”
Law enforcement officials have warned the public about these types of scams. The scammers tell the victim that a family member is in trouble and demand a ransom payment, while insisting the victim does not hang up so they can’t call others for help.
According to police, the scammer may also ask for other family members’ phone numbers. They then call them, loop them into the scenario and try to pressure them for more money.
These scammers use VPNs and phone-number masking to make it appear the number is coming from another location, police said.
“If this ever happens to you, and you are concerned, stay on the line but use another device to text or email the family member in question to verify that they are safe,” Manchester police said in a statement.
“If no device is available, write down a phone number and give it to someone else so that they can call for you and also notify the police.”
Police said if someone feels unsure of the situation after having wired money or sent a gift card, they should call the bank or gift card company and put a stop on the payment.
Earlier this week, Manchester police helped an elderly woman who sent $25,000 cash to a Florida phone scammer get her money back after a detective tracked down the package and kept it from being delivered.
Detective Ray Lamy traced the package to a Tampa business that handles UPS drop-offs and put a hold on it.
The Manchester woman told police that before sending the money, she received several calls from a man who said her Social Security number had been used by someone involved in drugs and money-laundering in Texas, according to a statement.
June 24, 2021 at 03:07AM
https://ift.tt/3wSKb2t
Manchester Amber Alert prompted by 'sophisticated phone scam,' police believe - The Union Leader
https://ift.tt/2WinW4G
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Manchester Amber Alert prompted by 'sophisticated phone scam,' police believe - The Union Leader"
Post a Comment