Township police warn of kidnapping scam

A Bloomfield Township man was swindled out of $260 through a fake kidnapping scam perpetrated by a woman he met through social media, police said.

The 62-year-old resident told police on Saturday, November 27 that he received an email from a woman he met on WhatsApp stating that she had been kidnapped. The victim received messages from the purported kidnapper requesting money via gift cards for the safe return of the woman. The victim then purchased $260 of Steam gift cards and sent the numbers to the alleged kidnapper.

The victim later realized the photos were from a Facebook page and the whole event was nothing more than a fraud, police said.

“The Bloomfield Township Police Department wants to remind the public that this is a popular scam and with the holiday season upon us, they need to be vigilant of these swindles,” Bloomfield Township Police Lt. Paul Schwab said.