Scam alert: Your family member is not being held hostage by the mafia

If you receive a phone call claiming that a family member is being held hostage after a traffic accident with a member of the mafia, it might be a scam.

Chattanooga police said in a news release this morning that the ploy has been used over the last few days in the area as an attempt to extort money.

In each instance a person was told their family member was being held hostage and that they would have to wire money to have the family member released.

But police say in each case family members had not actually been in a traffic accident. Citizens are encouraged to notify law enforcement immediately if a call like this is received.

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