There's a podcast I listen to sometimes called "The Perfect Scam," sponsored by the AARP but, I suspect, is intended more for the kids of elderly people who are more at risk for these kinds of things:
They have quite a few stories about "virtual kidnappings" and interview the people involved -- it's quite interesting, and has given me a lot of insight into how typical it would be for people to hear panic and react with panic...precisely how these scams are intended to go.
https://www.businessinsider.com/couple-canada-reportedly-los...