The BBC is writing about “virtual kidnapping” in Brazil. It often works like this: Criminals steal or find a mobile phone. They go thru the list of phone numbers in the mobile phones address book. If they find somebody like “My Father” or “My Mother” they call this number and explain nervousely that the son / the daughter had been kidnapped and they have to bring some money immediately.
The victim is under stress and has no time to check and think about whether the son is real missing they often go and pay. There were about 10’000 reported cases of this virtual kidnapping in 2006.
Source and more details in the BBC.
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