Hillsboro Family Loses $2,500 in Suspected AI Kidnapping Scam

A Hillsboro mother says her family lost $2,500 in what she believes was an artificial intelligence-driven kidnapping scam.

“It was really scary, it was so real,” said Tina, who asked to be identified only by her first name for safety reasons.

Tina said she answered a phone call from someone claiming her daughter had been in an accident.

“They said don’t call the police, she’s not hurt, don’t call the police, we can’t get the police involved,” Tina recalled.

The caller then claimed her daughter had been kidnapped and demanded $2,500 to secure her release.

“‘You need to send $2,500 to this bank account right away,’ they said. She stumbled upon a drug deal, and it cost us some money, so we need to be compensated for what it cost us,” Tina said.

Suspicious that the voice may have been generated using AI, Tina decided to contact her daughter directly. She discovered her daughter was safe, and initially believed the family had avoided the scam.

However, around the same time, Tina’s husband received a similar call — this time claiming another daughter had been kidnapped. Believing the threat was real, he transferred the money.

“Right now, with our current circumstances, $2,500 is like a million dollars to us,” Tina said. “$2,500 was huge, huge for us.”

She said the financial loss could take months to recover from and described the scam as emotionally manipulative and designed to force quick decisions.

“They prey on your emotions, and they use your loved one, whether it’s a granddaughter, grandson, or mom, or dad,” she said. “And then they were forceful.”

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office advises families who receive similar calls to:

• Contact their child directly using their known phone number.

• Call another family member who may know their whereabouts.

• Ask specific questions a scammer would not be able to answer.

• Never send money or gift cards based solely on a phone call.

• Report the incident to law enforcement.

“It’s just surreal right now. I’m just flabbergasted,” Tina said. “I think we’re pretty smart people. I almost fell for it, and had they not started changing their story, I probably would’ve fallen for it.”

She hopes sharing her story will help others avoid becoming victims.

“It makes you think,” she said. “It makes you really think about what you’re really putting out there.”