Scammers call husband claiming to have wife hostage

Received call on cellphone

HOUSTON – A West Houston couple have a warning for others after they were targeted by scammers claiming one of them had been taken hostage.

The couple, who do not want to be identified, say last Wednesday the husband received a call on his cellphone.

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"He said 'I'm with EMS. Your wife has been critically injured in an accident. Can you confirm she drives (a) Toyota Landcruiser?" the husband said.

From there the caller's story took several strange turns.

"It evolves into, 'We have your wife. Do not hang up. Do not call police,'" the husband said.

The caller told the husband to wire $5,000 at a nearby WalMart or get the cash from a bank. But before he did, the husband asked a co-worker to call his wife.

"She is crying profusely, 'Are you OK?' I'm fine what's going on," the wife recalled.

They realized it was a scam, one the wife said she had even read about recently on a blog.

"I think it's the shock factor. (The) moment you hear (a) loved one is hurt, (the) emotional response is, 'How do I help? What do i do?'" the husband said.

The couple reported the incident to Spring Valley Village police, who told them the best thing to do in the future is just hang up.