Help Me Ben: Livingston woman warns others after losing $2,000 in virtual kidnapping scam

“I decided to answer it I wish I had not, and I answered the phone and he said he said, ‘We've got your daughter Brittany.’ He used her name and then said,‘We're with the Mexican cartel, and we've got her in the back of the truck.’ And they put her on the phone screaming.” 

Bond said she first doubted what she was hearing, but that changed when the voice on the phone sounded like her daughter. 

“I said, ‘Oh, I don't think this is somebody screaming, what is this?’ And then she said in her voice, ‘It's me,’ screaming. It sounded just like my daughter. And then all of a sudden, you know, the maternal instinct kicks in and then you go into panic mode,” Bond said. 

The call lasted about an hour. Bond said the scammers threatened to cut off Brittany’s fingers or toes if she did not follow instructions. 

It felt like the callers had total control of the situation, and they would not let Bond ask any questions. They had her write down all their instructions and information on a piece of paper to wire them money. 

“They said, ‘We want you to go to Albertson's in Livingston, to the Western Union office and start driving and don't talk to anybody. Don’t call the police,’” Bond explained. 

After the transfer went through, the callers hung up. That was when Bond realized she may have been scammed. The phone call cost her over $2,000. 

According to the FBI, new technology has made these calls more convincing because scammers can use artificial intelligence to mimic a loved one’s voice. 

“The scammers are capturing audio, and they can manipulate that using AI and then turn it around and make it sound like a loved one,” explained Special Jason Grende.  

Senior citizens are most often the targets of these types of scam calls, he explained, with seniors making up roughly a quarter of all internet fraud cases in the Internet Crime Complaint Center’s 2025 report. Grende said the most important step is to try to confirm the alleged kidnapping victim is safe. 

“The big thing is try to get ahold of who they say they have, either through social media or try to text them. But the big thing is try to get off the line,” he said. 

Grende recommends social media users keep their accounts private, so personal information is not made available easily online. 

Scams can be reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center. 

In 2025, the Center received over 1 million complaints. Montana contributed 2,618 of those complaints. 

James Brown, the Montana State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance said pressure tactics and unusual payment requests can be warning signs. The office said requests for cryptocurrency or gift cards likely point to a scam. 

Brown said people who lose money should still report what happened, even if they do not believe a criminal investigation would help get the money back. 

“Don't be ashamed by that. Don't just ignore it. Reach out and to our office and inform us that this has happened. We're here to help you. There's nothing shameful about it,” Brown said. 

Even if the commissioner’s office cannot do the investigation, they can refer it to the FBI, he explained.  

Brown also said Montana has the Restitution Assistance Fund that may help some victims of financial fraud. 

“We are able to help victims of fraud, financial fraud, securities fraud namely,recover about $50,000 in repayment for a fraud scheme. So, it is some measure of help for Montanans who have been harmed by fraudsters,” Brown said. 

Depending on what type of phone you have, you can also change your settings to only receive phone calls from people in your contact list. You can also add your number to the federal Do Not Call Registry to help prevent getting unsolicited calls. The registry cannot stop unsolicited calls, but fraudsters can receive civil penalties for calling your number if it is on the list. 

The commissioner’s office is making efforts to educate Montanans on fraud schemes and prevent fraud from happening. In working with financial institutions, their office was able to stop $2 million worth of fraud from occurring in the first half of 2026. 

The commissioner’s office said victims of fraud or scams can report it by calling 406-444-2040 or visiting their website where you can learn more.