The Colorado Springs Police Department is warning the community to be aware of a kidnapping hoax after multiple calls into law enforcement

The department reported that three separate families received calls between 11:15 a.m. Monday and 10:50 a.m. Tuesday. All three calls were determined to be hoaxes aimed at extorting money from the victims.

The scammers contacted family members of an alleged kidnapping victim, using a person or possibly an AI program on the line to mimic the victim’s voice. Male voices were also heard during the calls, demanding a $5,000 ransom, which they later negotiated down to $2,500.

The scammers allegedly instructed the family members to deliver the money to a specified location or transfer it electronically. In some cases, they falsely claimed to be members of a cartel.

The department is now urging the public to “remain vigilant and recognize this as a hoax.” If anyone is contacted with a similar demand, police say to attempt to verify the safety of the person by directly calling or contacting them, and not comply with any ransom demands.