VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Extortion cases continue to rise across the country, with the FBI reporting it as the second most common cybercrime in 2024.
WTKR continues uncovering disturbing cases that show how criminals are exploiting people's deepest fears and emotions.
A Virginia Beach woman recently received a terrifying phone call that demonstrates the sophisticated tactics scammers now use. The caller first claimed to be a Virginia Beach Police Officer, then said he was part of the Mexican cartel holding her friend hostage, according to a search warrant. The suspect even mentioned the friend by name, the search warrant states.
It states the caller demanded the woman go to a public area and give him $10,000 for her friend's release. She drove to Hilltop Plaza and told him she only had $2,000. While the suspect demanded she drive to a bank, the victim was able to reach her friend and discovered she was never abducted.
Police continue investigating this crime.
"It's a different class of criminal that plays on somebody's emotion to save someone they love. It's pretty low, but that's what's out there, and I hope the public's aware that these type of people are out there trying to scam you by using your emotions," said Sonny Stallings, a legal analyst.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reports a large increase in extortion cases. With over 86,000 complaints in 2024, extortion ranks as the second most reported cybercrime. This represents a major jump from more than 48,000 complaints in 2023 and more than 39,000 in 2022.
Last year alone, victims lost over $143 million to these schemes, according to the report.
Crime analyst Richard James warns that perpetrators are becoming more sophisticated in their approach.
"Sometimes, the perpetrators just try to get personal information. For example, they say, you know, 'is this Don?' And you go, 'yes.' What you just did was use your voice to verify your name, and then they can add in with AI other information or other questions that you would answer yes to, because now they have your voice record saying yes," James said.
To combat these crimes, the Virginia Beach Police Department created an Instagram reel warning the public about phone scammers.
"We want to alert our community on the rise of phone scams. No one from the VB police department or government entity will call you, ask you to pay a fine or get you out of an arrest over the phone. These are all scams. Never provide personal or financial information over the phone to an unknown caller," the department stated in the video.
Stallings emphasizes the importance of public awareness in fighting these crimes.
"The public needs to be aware there's scammers out there. Thousands of them. The opposing is anything and everything, so be aware. Call the police, don't meet them, don't send money," Stallings said.
The FBI advises people to be wary of answering phone calls from numbers they do not recognize and never give out personal information to unknown callers.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
