LA GRULLA – The FBI wants the public to be alert after a Starr County family fell victim to a virtual kidnapping.  

The incident started with a phone call claiming their loved one was being held in Mexico.

On Thursday, federal investigators told CHANNEL 5 NEWS it was a blatant case of virtual kidnapping.  They said it started when a La Grulla father received a phone call.

The callers convinced the dad that his daughter was in danger.

FBI spokesperson Michelle Lee said the men demanded an undisclosed amount of cash be taken into Mexico.  The father then decided to make the trip.

"He was threatened and told that his daughter would be killed if he did not comply with the instructions," said Lee.

The man was in Mexico sometime around Wednesday morning. Ransom-seekers told the man to bring cash and go to a specific location.

Lee said the callers then put their focus on the rest of the family.

“After he was isolated in Mexico, then his loved ones – his family members – were called and they were extorted. They were told their father had been kidnapped,” she said.

Lee added the father made it back to La Grulla safe. She said he never made contact with the callers.

The agency said the call most likely came from a prison in Mexico.

The investigation into the case is ongoing.

FBI warns others to contact police if they get a similar call even if the people on the other end of the line tries to convince them otherwise.