FBI officials in Southern California and across the nation are warning the public of a new type of scam in which tech-savvy con-artists have been creating fake photos and videos to convince victims that their loved ones have been kidnapped.

The scammers have been taking photos and videos from social media or other publicly available sources "to use as fake proof of life photos in virtual kidnapping for ransom scams," according to an FBI alert issued Friday, Dec. 5.

"The criminal actors pose as kidnappers and provide seemingly real photos or videos of victims along with demands for ransom payments," the statement said.

How the 'virtual kidnapping' scam works

Most often, victims are first targeted through text messages, according to federal officials.

"Oftentimes, the criminal actor w

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