Overview
- The FBI issued a December 5 public service announcement warning of “virtual kidnapping” texts that use altered social-media images as fake proof of life, even though no abduction occurs.
- Scammers heighten pressure with threats of violence and timed messages, and the images often show errors such as missing tattoos, absent scars, or distorted proportions.
- Independent reporting notes criminals are using AI tools to doctor or create media and, in some cases, spoof loved ones’ phone numbers to bolster credibility.
- The FBI advises limiting personal information online, establishing a family code word, attempting direct contact with the supposed victim, saving any received images, and reporting incidents at ic3.gov.
- Officials did not provide current complaint totals for this variant, though the FBI previously logged 357 emergency-scam complaints last year with $2.7 million in losses.