Upstate NY Woman Rattled Target of Virtual Kidnapping Scam

Scammers come at us in a variety of ways. They sometimes take our identity and try to get us to send them money claiming to be the police or collections, but this latest scam is terrifying. Fortunately, no one was hurt but for an Upstate NY woman, she thought a family member was kidnapped.

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There is a new scam that has made its way into the Capital Region. It is called "Virtual Kidnapping". This is where the scammer on the other end of the phone says that they have your loved one and are holding them for ransom. It is more terrifying because they use personal information to convince you they have them.

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According to CBS 6, Anna Caban of Niskayuna was woken in the middle of the night by a phone call from her mother-in-law. Well, that's what she thought. The scammers used her cell phone number to make it seem like she was calling. It was three in the morning. Groggy, Anna said that there was a man on the other end claiming that he had kidnapped her mother-in-law and needed money for her safe return.

Anna Caban Recounts How Believable It Was

She told CBS 6,

He started to say her name and started to yell very threatening obscenities and then he said he was going to shoot her. Screams were coming in the background that could have sounded like her.

She also said that she was willing to send any money needed to not hurt her. But then Anna decided to ask the kidnapper to put her mother-in-law on the phone so she could hear her voice and know she was okay. That's when the kidnapper panicked and hung up.

She was worried that her mother-in-law's home was burglarized so she called her father-in-law. When she contacted him, he said that his wife was there sleeping the entire time. Then she asked about her phone and he said it was there too.

Anna Was Relieved But Shaken

She couldn't understand how the scammers could get her mother-in-law's actual cell phone number and spoof it.

She is sharing her story to warn others. It was so believable that anyone could fall for this scam. If you were a victim of a scam or something similar, you are urged to contact your local police and the FBI.

Stunning Drone Pics Show Remains Of Frontier Town In The ADKS

Many of us in the Capital Region have fond childhood memories while visiting our grand Adirondack Mountains. Some remember the early years of Storytown (now known as the Great Escape), some were partial to Water Slide World, while others enjoyed the horses, buggies, and stagecoach bandits at Frontier Town.

Frontier Town, located in Schroon Lake, NY, was started back in 1952 by a man named Arthur Bensen. Bensen designed it to be a theme park for kids and a big playground for adults. For more than 40 years, Frontier Town and its trick riders, bucking broncos, horses and buggies, and stagecoach bandits, was an Adirondack destination.

As other attractions in the Lake George area grew more popular, thinning crowds forced Frontier Town to shut down in 1998, and for 20 years it sat vacant, abandoned, and neglected.

Eventually, New York State would buy the land and redevelop the rotting theme park and

in the fall of 2018, the site was reopened.

The former Frontier Town is now a New York State Park where guests can camp, hike, take trails by horse and bike, and picnic. Certain trails are off-limits for guests, although many are open year-round.

Several of the original Frontier Town signs remain on the property. The entranceway to Frontier Town now stands as a deluxe rest stop with food, souvenirs, and bathrooms and the space can be rented out to host parties.

Most have never viewed the Adirondacks quite like this and we were allowed to publish these oddly beautiful photos high above Frontier Town thanks to Adirondack Drone.

Gallery Credit: Brian Cody TSM Albany

Filed Under: 518 News, cell phone, kidnapping, scam

Categories: Albany Events, Around Albany