Family members of missing persons who post to social media are being targeted by scammers extorting them for ransom payments, the FBI warned in a public notice. Scammers in these schemes typically use social media to identify cases of missing persons, their family members and details of the disappearance before calling or messaging ransom demands, typically between $5,000 and $10,000. Those who believe they are targets of an extortion attempt are asked to keep all original messages and documentation of the encounter, and contact local law enforcement or the local FBI field office.
