'Virtual kidnapping' scam reported in North Vancouver, RCMP say
Mounties in North Vancouver say they are investigating a "virtual kidnapping" that briefly convinced a local man his wife had been taken hostage Tuesday.
The man received a call from someone demanding a ransom and threatening harm to the man's wife, who the caller claimed to have kidnapped, according to a news release from North Vancouver RCMP.
Police said the man could hear a woman's voice in the background of the call, which appeared to be coming from his wife's phone.
"Our officers worked quickly to locate the victim’s spouse, ensuring her safety," said Const. Mansoor Sahak, in the release.
"It was determined that the kidnapping was a hoax and the fraudsters had used technology to make the victim think the call was coming from his wife’s personal phone."
This type of scam is known as a "virtual kidnapping," according to RCMP, who said perpetrators often tell the victim not to answer their phone or make contact with friends, family or police, threatening harm to a loved one if they don't comply.
In Tuesday's case, the fraudster demanded payment by e-transfer, police said.
"We treat these types of investigations as serious until such time we have information that it’s not a real kidnapping," Sahak said. "These investigations are complex and draw in a lot of resources."
North Vancouver RCMP advise anyone who receives a call claiming a loved one has been kidnapped to hang up the phone and report the incident to local police.
Do not comply with the caller's demands or give out personal information over the phone, police added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.