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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Five Guys Burgers seeks plan approval ... Four injured in Grants Pass fifth-wheel explosion and fire ... Police chase stolen truck down I-5 from Myrtle Creek to Medford ... Five Guys Burgers seeks plan approval ... Four injured in Grants Pass fifth-wheel explosion and fire ... Police chase stolen truck down I-5 from Myrtle Creek to Medford ... CRIME Local scam too scary for parents to ignore Phone calls purport to be from kidnapper of their children Comment By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Feb. 13, 2016 at 12:15 PM By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Feb. 13, 2016 at 12:15 PM » Social News Even after repeated warnings from local law enforcement agencies and multiple media stories, a phone scam in Southern Oregon is proving difficult for parents to ignore. Over the past month, area parents have received phone calls claiming to be from a kidnapper seeking a ransom for one of their children, while children can be heard screaming in the background. On Thursday, in the latest of several incidents, school resource officer Jeff Britton with the Central Point police department responded to Jewett Elementary School to assist an "understandably" upset and frightened mother who'd received one of the scam calls. "Everything turned out fine," Britton said in an email. The scam triggered a robbery alarm Wednesday afternoon at a KeyBank branch in Ashland, after a parent began writing notes to a bank teller, presumably because he didn't want to lose his phone connection while withdrawing funds for the scammer. The request appeared to the teller to be a robbery, causing Ashland police to appear in force at the branch at 183 E. Main St. Other than the fright the parent received, no one was harmed in that episode. According to Britton, those receiving the scam calls report a Hispanic-sounding man aggressively and angrily demanding money while children scream, shout and plead for help in the background. The scam caller allegedly threatens to kill the kidnapped children if the parent doesn't give them money. The phone number that appears on Caller ID appears to be a dummy number. Britton advises parents to be aware of the scam, not to give out personal information and not to get into an argument with the caller. Instead, parents should hang up immediately, call 9-1-1 and check on their children's whereabouts right away. Britton said that if the children are at school, daycare or other location away from the parent, the police can confirm a child is safe or meet parents at the location. He also advised parents who may be understandably upset to drive carefully if they travel to check up on their children. "You won't be able to help if you get into an accident," Britton wrote. Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat. By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat MailTribune.com By Nick Morgan Mail Tribune Follow @@mtcrimebeat Posted Feb. 13, 2016 at 12:15 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501