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In a letter to families on Wednesday, Jan. 8, Peekskill City School District Superintendent David Mauricio said two households received "Virtual Kidnapping Extortion Calls," a sophisticated scam where perpetrators falsely claim to have kidnapped a loved one and demand ransom payments.
Using artificial intelligence (AI), these scammers are now replicating family members' voices to make the threats appear more credible, Mauricio wrote.
"The purpose of sharing this information is to raise awareness about this most recent scheme and equip our school community with the knowledge they need to avoid becoming a victim of this crime," Mauricio explained.
To avoid falling victim, Mauricio gave the following tips:
What to Do If You Receive Such a Call:
- Attempt to contact your child immediately;
- Verify your child’s location by calling their school during school hours or reaching them directly outside of school hours;
- Contact law enforcement immediately, regardless of whether you think the call is legitimate. Reach the Peekskill Police Department at 914-737-8000 or dial 911.
Warning Signs of the Scam:
- Calls often originate from an outside area code;
- Multiple phone calls may be made;
- Calls are not made from the allegedly kidnapped victim's phone;
- Scammers attempt to keep victims on the line to prevent verification of their loved one’s safety;
- Ransom payments are demanded via wire transfer.
To prevent such scams from happening, Mauricio said students should check their privacy settings on their social media accounts. Parents should also review what their children are posting online and limit publicly available information that scammers could use to build credibility for their claims.
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