Special squads set up to probe fake kidnapping cases

Police in Selangor, Penang and Johor have set up special squads to investigate the increasing number of fake kidnapping cases in the three states.

In most cases, the crooks call up the family members of someone who they have allegedly kidnapped and demand ransom, when the "victim" was actually safe and sound. According to a report in China Press today, the conmen target mainly Chinese as, according to police sources, data showed that the majority of the victims who lodged police so far are Chinese.

Police reminded the public not to fret if they received such calls but to stay calm and make verifications in order not to fall into the conmen's trap.

They also urged those who are targeted by the conmen to contact the police as soon as possible. In the last two years, numerous cases of fake kidnapping have been reported in the press. In most cases, the victims, usual parents of young children, banked money into bank accounts given by conmen, in their haste to get their children "released". They lodged police reports when they released later that they had been conned.

In Selangor alone, more than 10 cases have been reported so far this year. Police believed the conmen are Malaysians and are members of syndicates. In most cases of fake kidnapping, the conmen would have done their homework and have knowledge of the background of their targets but there are also cases where the conmen made random calls hoping to net a victim or two, as indicated by three cases in which the targets received calls that their children had been abducted when in fact they don't have children. DO YOU OWN A TAG.MYSPACE,FRIENDSTER,FLIXTER,FACEBOOK...?????? DID YOU PUT IN ALL YOUR PERSONAL DETAILS INSIDE IT HUH?? LIKE :MY FATHER'S NAME,MY MAMA'S TELEPHONE NUMBER,MY HOUSE ADDRESS,I'M THE 3RD CHILD IN THE FAMILY,MY OFFICE IS IN,.....AND SO ON... HAHA YOUR MIGHT GET INTO TROUBLE LIKE THOSE REPORTED IN THE PAPER!! BE CAREFUL,UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TRYING TO HIGHLIGHT HERE??