WESLACO – They call you claiming they have a loved one kidnapped; they are supposedly part of a cartel or another criminal organization.

They are using fear to get people to give up their money.

The FBI says they’ve seen about a dozen virtual kidnapping cases within the last two weeks in the Rio Grande Valley.

Special Agent Michelle Lee told CHANNEL 5 NEWS these cases have been occurring for more than a decade, but the callers are now using technology to their advantage.

Watch the video above for the full report.