CALGARY -- Lethbridge police are warning residents following a number of reports of suspicious phone calls that claimed their family members were kidnapped and in danger.
Authorities say two residents contacted them Tuesday after they answered phone calls from overseas numbers.
In one of the calls, police say the resident heard a woman scream and were told by a male voice that their daughter had been kidnapped. Before the victim could get any more information, the phone call was cut off.
Lethbridge police say all the calls came from numbers originating in Jordan. A further investigation also determined a number of people in Calgary also received similar calls.
Officials want to inform the public that these sorts of calls are scams. They say fraudsters usually start off by saying one of the victim's family members has been kidnapped and their safety can only be assured if they send cash, usually via a wire transfer.
Police say that if anyone answers a call like this, they should not follow any of the caller's demands and never give out any personal information.
Anyone who receives a suspicious call is also told to report them to authorities.
