HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – At approximately 1:30 p.m. on Friday, the father of a Hernando County school student received a telephone call from a phone number, with a Mexico country code, in regards to his child.
Deputies say the phone call began with a small child crying, “dad, they have me.” The father immediately said the child’s name to ask if the child was alright.
The adult male caller told the father, “they had his child.”
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A small child could hear screaming in the background during the call.
The caller said, “I have your child. How much money do you have to see the child alive?”
But deputies say the caller did not demand a specific amount of money, only asked how much the father had. As the father continued speaking with the caller, the call was disconnected.
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The father immediately contacted the School Resource Deputy at his child’s school to confirm his child was safe. The child was safe and engaged in school activities.
Deputies say this appears to be a scam and ask that if you receive a call of this nature, please do not provide the child’s name and/or your personal and/or banking information.
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