# Fake kidnapping scam: how it works and what to do · Bipe A call or voice message with someone crying says a relative was kidnapped. The criminal demands a Pix at once and tells you not to hang up. Reach the relative another way. **The fake kidnapping scam: crying in the background and a Pix right now** Also called: fake kidnapping, virtual kidnapping. ## How it works 1. The criminal calls or sends audio with someone screaming or crying in the background. 2. They wait for you to say a name, and use it from then on. 3. They demand a Pix or deposit at once and tell you to speak to nobody. ## How to spot it - They tell you not to hang up and not to call anyone. - The crying voice does not say its own name. - The deadline is minutes. ## What to do - Do not say names. Hang up and call the relative, or ask someone to call. - Do not pay. - Call 190. ## How Bipe helps Each item shows where it stands on iPhone and Android. - [Is that really Mom?](https://bipe.chat/en/features/is-that-really-mom/) (iPhone: Coming soon; Android: Coming soon): If the contact saved as Mum has a different verified name, the app asks if it is the same person. - [Message requests](https://bipe.chat/en/features/message-requests/) (iPhone: In the test app; Android: In development): People who are not in your contacts arrive as a request. A message from a new number does not land straight in your chat list. - [Scam warnings](https://bipe.chat/en/features/scam-warnings/) (iPhone: In the test app; Android: In development): A warning shows under a message that looks like a scam, such as a rushed Pix, a new number or a boleto. It is on by default, with nothing to set up. **What Bipe does not solve here:** It is almost always a phone call, outside Bipe. On Bipe, people not in your contacts arrive as a request, and the warning shows on a rushed request for money. Bipe only protects the chats that happen in Bipe. If someone in the family still uses another app, a scammer can write to them there. ## Who describes this scam - [Cartilha Golpe Tô Fora](https://www.ssp.sp.gov.br/midia/Midia/00000349.pdf) (Secretaria da Segurança Pública de São Paulo) - [O golpe tá aí. Cai quem não se informa. Cartilha de prevenção contra golpes](https://pc.sc.gov.br/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Cartilha-Prevencao-Golpes-1.pdf) (Polícia Civil de Santa Catarina) - [PCPR orienta população sobre golpes de falso sequestro no verão](https://www.policiacivil.pr.gov.br/Noticia/PCPR-orienta-populacao-sobre-golpes-de-falso-sequestro-no-verao) (Polícia Civil do Paraná) ## Other common scams - [Fake relative](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-relative-scam/) - [Taken number or account](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/cloned-number-scam/) - [Fake bank call centre](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-bank-call-scam/) - [Pix and fake boleto](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/pix-scam/) - [Fake shop](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-shop-scam/) - [Threats with your data](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/threat-scam/) - [Fake acquaintance](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-acquaintance-scam/) - ["I sent you a code by mistake"](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/code-by-mistake-scam/) - [Romance scam](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/romance-scam/) - [Fake lawyer](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-lawyer-scam/) - [Fake government body](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-government-scam/) - [Fake delivery fee](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-delivery-fee-scam/) - [Fake job and task scam](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/task-job-scam/) - [Fake support](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-support-scam/) - [Fake second-hand sale](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-seller-scam/) - [Fake buyer and fake receipt](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-receipt-scam/) - [Fake rental](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-rental-scam/) - [Wrong Pix](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/wrong-pix-scam/) - [Fake boleto](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-boleto-scam/) - [Fake loan](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-loan-scam/) - [Fake investment](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-investment-scam/) - [Betting and "tigrinho"](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/betting-scam/) - [Fake link](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-link-scam/) - [Phantom hand and fake app](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/remote-access-scam/) - [SIM swap](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/sim-swap-scam/) - [Sextortion](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/sextortion-scam/) - [Group chat scam](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/group-chat-scam/) - [Fake fundraiser](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/fake-charity-scam/) - [Scams in Brazil in numbers](https://bipe.chat/en/scams-in-brazil/) ## Where these numbers come from Researched on 13 October 2026. We only use numbers that have a source. Surveys by a company or a private association are marked as such. - [O golpe tá aí. Cai quem não se informa. Cartilha de prevenção contra golpes](https://pc.sc.gov.br/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Cartilha-Prevencao-Golpes-1.pdf) (Polícia Civil de Santa Catarina, 2024-01) - [Cartilha Golpe Tô Fora](https://www.ssp.sp.gov.br/midia/Midia/00000349.pdf) (Secretaria da Segurança Pública de São Paulo, 2020-07) - [PCPR orienta população sobre golpes de falso sequestro no verão](https://www.policiacivil.pr.gov.br/Noticia/PCPR-orienta-populacao-sobre-golpes-de-falso-sequestro-no-verao) (Polícia Civil do Paraná, 2020-12-26) ## Download - Install on iPhone: https://testflight.apple.com/join/k3ycEfzk (Test version, through Apple TestFlight.) - Download for Android: https://bipe.chat/baixar/android/bipe.apk (Test version. Download the file and open it on your phone. Android asks you to allow the install. Notifications do not work yet.) An experiment by Envisioning: https://envisioning.com ## Source code - iPhone app: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-ios - Android app: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-android - App rules and text: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-shared - Invites and @ directory: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-api - This site: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-web - Colours and styles: https://github.com/bipe-chat/compound-design-tokens - On-device scam model: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-ml - Business bridge and inbox: https://github.com/bipe-chat/bipe-business