Manassas Police investigate phone scams - alleged abduction of family member

Manassas City Police Department
Crime Report
Dec. 16, 2016

Abduction Phone Scams
Between Dec. 9 and Dec. 14, 2016, Manassas City Police received at least two citizen reports of an attempted phone scam involving the alleged abduction of a family member.

On Dec. 9, Manassas City Police was dispatched to Wells Fargo, located at 9210 Church St, for a report of a suspicious event. Upon arrival, officers learned an adult male of Chantilly had just withdrawn a large sum of money from his bank account while asking the bank staff to contact Police. The victim, who was on the phone at the time, told officers that he had an unknown male on the other end who claimed to be holding his daughter hostage in exchange for the money. With the assistance of Fairfax County Police Department, officers were able to make contact with the victim’s daughter and confirm that she was safe at home.

On Dec. 14, Manassas City police met with a resident on the 9000 block of Euclid St for a report of a suspicious event. Officers were received by the reporting party, who was on the phone with an unknown male at the time. The caller claimed he had abducted the citizen’s daughter and was demanding money for her release. Officers immediately made contact with the citizen’s two daughters, who were both safe and had no knowledge of the alleged abduction.

In both instances, the citizen who reported the crime told officers that the caller produced the sound of a young woman in distress on the other end of the line.

Microsoft Phone Scam
On Dec. 15, 2016, Manassas City Police met with a citizen for a report of a fraud. The reporting party told officers that in the morning, someone claiming to work for Microsoft called and told her he was able to assist her with a virus she had on her home computer. The caller gained remote access to her operating system to allegedly provide assistance and offered the citizen a protection policy, which she paid by credit card. Shortly thereafter, the victim learned from her bank that her card information had been used to make a fraudulent purchase.

Larceny from Vehicle
On Dec. 13, 2016, Manassas City Police met with a resident on the 9500 block of McKinley Ave for a report of a larceny from vehicle. The reporting party told officers that sometime overnight, someone entered his vehicle and stole an undisclosed amount of cash from a wallet in the console. The vehicle was parked in the driveway of the victim’s residence and left unlocked at the time of the theft.

Anyone with information about these events is encouraged to call the Manassas City Police Department Investigative Services Division at (703) 257-8092 or Crime Solvers.  The Manassas City/Manassas Park Crime Solvers will pay a cash reward up to $1000.00 for information that leads to an arrest in these cases.  The confidential 24-hour tip line is (703) 330-0330.

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