I am not sure it even matters either way. It is certainly possible to do things like this right now, and "kidnapped" or "arrested" family member scams are well

I am not sure it even matters either way. It is certainly possible to do things like this right now, and "kidnapped" or "arrested" family member scams are well established as existing. The significance of this report is less that it happened, and more that it is an illustration of what is not only possible, be very cheap and easy to do.