Local

Child abduction scam calls reported in Washington state

GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY, Wash. — A Grays Harbor County man received a phone call claiming that his child had been abducted – a scam that the FBI said has been increasing in other states.

On Wednesday at 11:19 a.m., a man in the Central Park area of the county called the sheriff’s office to report an alarming phone call.

The man said when he answered the call, he could hear a young girl crying and then say, "daddy, daddy" several times. He then heard a man address him by his correct first name, and then say, "I have your daughter, if you want her.”

The phone call then disconnected. The man immediately called his child’s school and verified that his daughter was there and was OK. He then called 911.

Police said the phone call was from phone number +52 6563227320 and appeared to be from Mexico. 
When deputies tried to call the number back, it was no longer in service.

The sheriff’s office said it appears that other similar calls have been received in Aberdeen as well as in Thurston County.

In some of the other calls, the suspect had identified himself as "Batman" and requested ransom.

In September, the FBI told CBS News it has seen a recent increase in cases in New York, Nevada, Texas and California.

FBI kidnapping expert, agent Eric Arbuthnot, told CBS News that many of the cases on the West Coast and along the border involve criminal groups from Mexico. Some claim to be members of a cartel and request ransom via wire transfer.

The callers often use social media to learn about their victims, finding names, places they visit and friends to convince the victim of the authenticity of the call.

In cases from other states, the caller went to great lengths to keep the victim on the phone to try to prevent them from contacting the “kidnapped” person.

The numbers are often untraceable and are changed frequently.

Trending stories from KIRO7.com