July 22, 2025
NEWS RELEASE
Bonneville County Sheriff’s Deputies have received several reports of a phone scam hitting our area where the suspect claims to have kidnapped a family member. The suspect(s) in the scam attempt to convince the victim they need to pay ransom or their family member will suffer physical harm and abuse, possibly providing enough vague information about the victims to support their claim. The nature of the dialogue from the suspects is intended to create panic and concern in hopes to actually retrieve money from the victim before they find out it is a hoax.
At this point in time there have been no kidnapping incidents and Deputies have received no reports of missing family members. The victims reporting this scam have quickly been able to determine the information isn’t true and have not had money stolen because of it. This scam may be similar in nature to reports taken by Law Enforcement in other parts of the state.
Unfortunately, a wide variety of phone scams are reported daily, from illegitimate phone sales and solicitation, to impersonating Law Enforcement, to the threat or false report of family members in danger. Many of these scams utilize technology to mask or change numbers to look as if they originated in Idaho, some being similar to actual numbers of government entities. The most common way to identify these scams is when the suspects convince victims they need to pay money over the phone using money or gift cards from retail stores.
If you receive a suspicious phone call identifying a family member who has been kidnapped or threatened, consider whether the information is realistically possible given the details. Never give out personal information and if you feel there is any credible threat contact your local Law Enforcement immediately. Always monitor your financial and online accounts for suspicious activity. Change your passwords often and utilize 2-step verification processes to protect your information. This includes social media, gaming, and other online accounts that have no ties to your personal finances.
Helpful tips on scams and other cyber criminal activity can be found on the National Internet Crime Complaint Center website www.ic3.gov.
