Phone Scammer Threatens to Kill Your Loved Ones

Who would have thought that slimy telemarketer techniques could get even worse? Not content with just hyping payday loans and selling phytoplankton to "cure cancer", scammers have started calling Florida residents claiming they will kill one of your loved ones if you don't hand over $3000.

WESH aired a video after one of their interns received the threatening call.

"He said that my boyfriend was being held in a house and he wasn't going to let him go unless I paid $3000"

The scammer weaves a confusing story about being an off-duty paramedic and that your loved one was the cause of a car accident that killed the other driver. After attempting to scare the victim with that scenario, the scammer then demands a ransom, even going so far as to play gunshot sounds over the phone.

If you receive a threatening call similar to this, contact your local police immediately and file a report. For more information, check out the FTC's information concerning phone scams, which can help you spot a scam.

(Image via WESH)