Parents are used to worrying about their kids, but they are not used to hearing a convincing recording of their child sobbing on the phone and demanding money. That is exactly what police say is happening in a wave of new scams that lean on fear, urgency, and even artificial intelligence to squeeze cash and personal data out of families. Local departments are now racing to warn residents before that first terrifying call comes in.
The basic playbook is simple: a stranger claims a child has been kidnapped or is in trouble, then pressures a parent to pay up or hand over sensitive details. What is changing is the tech and the cover stories, from fake AMBER Alert officials to AI voice clones that sound uncannily like a son or daughter. The goal for families is not to memorize every twist, but to recognize the red flags fast enough to hang up and check on their kids for real.
How the “kidnapped child” calls actually work
In one Kansas community, The Olathe Police Department says it has already logged two reports of a scam that is new to the area and specifically aimed at parents. Callers claim a child has been abducted, then demand money while insisting the parent stay on the line. The department is urging residents to share details of the scam so they can help protect others in the community.
Officers in the same city have gone a step further and laid out a script for what to do if that call comes in. They tell parents to Hang up immediately, then Contact the child or another relative to verify they are safe, and finally Call 911 instead of sending money or sharing bank details. Federal consumer officials describe similar “virtual kidnapping” schemes where scammers threaten that they know where a family lives and say they will kill relatives if the victim does not pay, a pattern laid out in a warning about threatening phone scams.
AI is giving old scams a brutal upgrade
What makes the latest wave so unnerving is the way artificial intelligence is being folded into an old con. Police in one region describe it as a familiar kidnapping script with a new twist, where AI technology is used to make it sound like the call is coming from the supposed victim, a detail highlighted in coverage of a case involving Jonath and his family. In those calls, the voice on the line does not just claim to be a child, it sounds like them, right down to the cadence and background noise.
Investigators say Scammers are using artificial intelligence to clone children’s voices and trick parents into sending money, a trend detailed in reporting By Sarah. Officers in other areas warn that technology has become advanced enough to make these fake calls sound very real, according to a social media post that stressed how easily Officers can be fooled too. Another police message notes that with videos abounding on social media and television, many people have unwittingly put themselves at risk of voice cloning, a point shared in a warning about how scams are growing more sophisticated with the use of AI With videos.
Fake AMBER Alerts and official-sounding calls
Alongside the fake kidnappings, parents are now fielding calls from people who claim to be tied to child safety programs. In Florida, state investigators say scammers are impersonating AMBER Alert officials and calling Floridians about a new AMBER Alert scam circulating across the state. The callers claim to be from FDLE, say an AMBER Alert program is being updated, and then request children’s personal information, according to a notice that described how FDLE issues warning about this tactic.
Officials have spelled out exactly WHAT is HAPPENING: scammers are calling residents, claiming to be part of an official child safety initiative, and then asking for Social Security numbers, birth dates, and other data that could be used for identity theft. A separate alert aimed at Florida parents notes that scammers are impersonating AMBER Alert officials and that the real system does not require any registration, a point stressed in a post that opened with “FYI Folks Sonora” and referenced how California Highway Patrol and CHP manage the real Amber Alert System.
Grandparents, immigrants, and other prime targets
Parents are not the only ones in the crosshairs. In Ontario, police say grandparent scams are on the rise, with callers pretending to be a grandchild in trouble and begging for money. A recent advisory titled “Chatham, Kent Police Service Issues Warning About Increase Grandparent Scams The Chatham, Kent Police Service” urges residents to be skeptical of urgent calls and to verify any story before wiring cash, a message shared by the Chatham Kent Police Service Kent Police Service. In a separate deep dive on AI voice cloning, experts note that Public information on social media is providing material for the scam and that Cyber criminals stalk the grandchildren or loved ones to build convincing stories.
Immigrant families are also being hit with aggressive phone threats. Federal consumer advocates describe cases where scammers call parents or immigrants, claim to be from law enforcement or a government agency, and then threaten to kill their family if they do not pay, a pattern detailed in a warning about threatening phone scams. Local advisories echo that pattern, noting that the caller typically begs the victim not to contact parents because of embarrassment, isolating the target from anyone who might expose the lie, a tactic spelled out in a rundown of what residents are seeing right now under the heading Scam Alert.
How to push back when the phone rings
Law enforcement is trying to give families a simple checklist they can run through in the heat of the moment. In Kansas, officers have urged parents to hang up, call their child directly, and then report any suspicious call to Hang up lines like Contact and Call 911. In Florida, state investigators are telling residents that a supposed child safety program asking for money or personal data is not real.
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