Feb 18, 2026
Kris Sampson was simply going about her day when her phone rang with a call that appeared to be from her daughter’s number.
When Sampson answered, she heard her daughter crying hysterically for help. Moments later, a man came on the line, aggressively claiming he was holding her at gunpoint and was going to kill her if Sampson didn’t follow his instructions (1).
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For about 15 minutes, Sampson believed her daughter was in danger and that she immediately needed to pay a ransom to save her. Sampson had no reason to suspect otherwise: the caller ID showed her daughter’s number and the voice she heard sounded identical to that of her daughter.
“There’s no doubt it was her voice,” Sampson shared with NBC Montana. “So immediately, I think you go into a parent fear response."
While on the call, Sampson rushed next door to her sister who, despite the caller warning Sampson not to contact anyone, secretly dialed 911. It turned out to be a smart move. Police advised the family to contact the daughter’s workplace, which after a few uncertain moments was able to confirm Sampson’s daughter was safe at work.
Investigators say Sampson nearly fell victim to a virtual kidnapping scam, a tactic in which fraudsters combine emotional manipulation with technology — such as voice cloning generated through artificial intelligence, as well as caller ID spoofing — to make a fabricated threat seem real.
Fortunately, Sampson didn’t send money, but victims of similar scams have lost thousands of dollars before realizing they were deceived.
How AI can make a scam terrifyingly convincing
Kidnapping scams aren’t new, but they’ve become significantly more sophisticated and believable as technology has advanced.
Scammers now comb through social media and other websites to gather personal details, and then use tools like AI to generate convincing audio or create images that appear to show a loved one in distress.
According to the FBI (2), which has repeatedly warned of a spike in high‑tech virtual kidnapping and extortion schemes, criminals typically initiate contact by phone call or text, claim they’ve abducted someone the victim knows and demand immediate payment for their “release.” In the case of phone calls, the voice on the line can sound eerily familiar because fraudsters can use AI to create a believable voice from short clips of publicly available speech (3).
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Like traditional extortion attempts, these calls rely heavily on fear and urgency. Scammers often insist the victim must not contact family members or law enforcement, pressure them to act quickly, demand payment through methods that are difficult to trace and demand relatively small, obtainable ransom amounts ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 (6).
While some of these tactics resemble those used in real kidnapping scenarios, experts say certain patterns are common in virtual kidnapping scams. Potential warning signs include:
- The caller refusing to let you speak freely with the person they claim to have kidnapped.
- The “victim’s” voice is brief and limited to crying and maybe just a few words.
- “Proof of life” images or videos contain little inaccuracies such as a missing mole or tattoo.
- After the call finishes, it doesn’t show in your phone log.
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How families can protect themselves
What happened to Sampson could happen to anyone, and while that doesn’t mean you should spend your days worrying about receiving a similar call, Sampson’s experience does underscore why it may be wise to have a plan in place should the unthinkable somehow occur.
Taking the following steps could be useful:
- Prearranged code words: Choose a special word or phrase that only close family members know and agree it must be used in a genuine emergency. If a loved one is truly in danger and able to speak freely, they can use it.
- Parallel contact plan: If you receive a scary call, try text messaging the person that’s supposed to be kidnapped or someone that’s often physically near them, such as a roommate, friend, spouse or work colleague.
- Find a sidekick: Reach out to another trusted adult while the call is happening, as Sampson did with her sister. A second person can help verify facts or contact authorities without interfering with the conversation.
- Involve law enforcement early: Even if the caller says not to, police can help assess whether the situation appears credible and may already be aware of similar scam activity.
Law enforcement stresses that the safest response to these types of calls is not to assume it’s fake, but to slow down, find a way to independently verify the person’s safety, subtly alert authorities and try to refrain from sending money for as long as possible (2).
If you’re able to confirm that the supposed victim is safe — as Sampson ultimately did — you can stand down. Otherwise, continue to treat the threat seriously while keeping law enforcement in the loop and looking for inconsistencies.
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
NBC Montana (1); FBI (2); McAfee (3); The Fraud Codex (4).
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Daniel Liberto is a financial journalist with over 10 years of experience covering markets, investing, and the economy. He writes for global publications and specializes in making complex financial topics clear and accessible to all readers.
