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

This scam is similar to one detectives took numerous reports last year which primarily targeted the Hispanic community, said Twis Lizasuain, Sheriff's Office spokeswoman. Those cases were sent to the FBI because multiple law enforcement agencies were receiving complaints.

Within the last few months, the Sheriff's Office has taken several 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.

Anyone who receives a similar call should remain calm and contact your family member immediately. Anyone unable to contact the family member should 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 after confirming the family member is safe, report the incident to law enforcement. When reporting the incident, provide law enforcement with the following: confirmation that the 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 dollars.