Osceola County Sheriff's deputies are cautioning the public regarding a kidnapping scam.

Since May 14, the Sheriff's Office has taken six reports from individuals who received a call in Spanish, informing them a family member had been held against their will, and demanding the family send money to an undisclosed bank account in Puerto Rico.

In three of the five cases from the weekend, the caller stated that a family member was in a car accident and injured. The caller threatened to further harm the family member if money was not sent immediately.

Two of the calls claimed the caller had kidnapped a family member and demanded money. All of the calls had similar phone numbers and all demanded money be sent to Puerto Rico.

Police said if you receive a similar call, remain calm and contact your family member immediately. If you are unable to contact your family member, call law enforcement immediately. Deputies also encourage the public to attempt to verify the authenticity of the caller's claim by asking questions to verify the identity of the kidnapped victim.

Even if you have confirmed your family member is safe, report the incident to law enforcement. When you report the incident, provide law enforcement with the following: confirmation your family member is safe, specific demands made by the caller, gender and accent of the caller, date, time and place the caller arranged for the ransom to be paid and any other information that will be helpful in locating the caller.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Osceola County Sheriff's Office at 407-348-2222 or Crimeline at (800) 423-TIPS (8477). Calls made to Crimeline remain anonymous, and tips that lead to the felony arrest of suspects and/or the recovery of stolen property and drugs are eligible for cash rewards of up to $1,000.