'I Will Kill Your Mom' San Diego Woman Tricked By Fake Kidnapping Scam Call

A San Diego woman is warning others after she had a terrifying eight-minute conversation with a scammer last Thursday, January 20.

"It showed up as my mom, so when I picked up I was ready to talk to my mom," Lesley Mumford recalled to NBC7. "I hear a woman in distress, and I hear some scuffling."

Then a man started talking.

"I swear to God, if you don’t do everything I tell you, I swear on my baby’s life I will kill your mom and I’ll kill myself," Mumford heard him say.

She believed her mother, Linda who is in her 60s, was kidnapped and in a life-threatening situation.

By the end of the call, Mumford had wired two payments totaling $900 to the man in return for her mother's freedom.

"Not for a second did I not think this was real. Not for half a second," she said.

Meanwhile, Linda was at work having a normal day.

Although she would like her money back, Lesley said she would be just as satisfied knowing that sharing her story keeps this from happening to someone else.

According to NBC7, this is known as "spoofing."

These virtual kidnapping extortion calls are on the rise according to the FBI. They've shared a list of things to know if you ever find yourself in this kind of situation:

• Calls do not come from the kidnapped victim’s phone.
• Callers prevent you from calling or locating the “kidnapped” victim
• Ransom money is only accepted via wire transfer service.
• Somethings you can do
• Slow the situation down
• Attempt to call or determine the location of the reportedly “kidnapped” victim
• Request to speak to them and ask questions only the victim would know