HEBRON, Maine, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A Maine woman says telephone scammers claimed they had kidnapped her grandson -- a U.S. Marine fighting in Afghanistan -- and tried to get her to pay ransom.
Bette Anne Cushman of Hebron said while the calls terrified her, she knew from the start they weren't legitimate, even though the male caller threatened to do terrible things to her grandson, Sgt. Luke Medlin, WMTW-TV, Portland, Maine, reported Wednesday.
Cushman said the man demanded a $3,000 ransom from her.
"He started saying, 'You know, he's stripped naked. We're going to beat him. He's going to wear a black hood ...,'" Cushman told the broadcaster. "I just could not believe the cruelty. I'm not trying to get notoriety. I just want people to know it's happening so if they get a phone call, they'll hang up."
WMTW reported the family believes the idea for the scam may have started when a combat photo in which Medlin was recognizable was published and the scammers performed research to find his grandmother's name.
