N.J. police alert residents of kidnapping hoax

Authorities in a New Jersey township cautioned residents of a scam in which a person claims to have a relative captive unless a ransom is paid, CBS Station WCBS New York reported Saturday.

Police in South Brunswick said that an incident happened in which a father got a phone call that said his son was involved in a car accident and that he was being held unless he paid for auto damages via Western Union, according to the story. The caller said the son would go to the hospital after receipt of payment.

The father sent the money and the caller told him to go to a New Brunswick hospital. The father didn't find his son there, so he called his son's cell phone and learned that no accident happened.

Similar hoaxes have been reported in other parts of New Jersey, according to authorities. The cases involved the suspect asking for $1,800, and that the area code on the caller ID appeared to have been from Puerto Rico. South Brunswick police warned residents to call the police.