Mother Of 3 Files Complaint With Police After Text Death Threat Prank
NORTHRIDGE (CBSLA.com) — A mother of three has filed a complaint with police after receiving a series of threatening text messages authorities believe are a prank.
Amanda Loesser got the first text Wednesday afternoon threatening her life. She received more than a dozen after that.
"It never stopped, it just kept on going and going and going," she told KCAL9's Andrea Fujii.
The frightening messages included demands she pay thousands of dollars to have her life spared.
"Do you want to live or die? As someone has paid us to kill you. Get back to me now. I will spare your life for $5,000," read one message.
"I'm watching you, I have people watching you, we've done our research on you," Loesser said another read, adding, "It continued all day."
Loesser said she assumed the texts were part of a scam, but she soon became concerned for her children's safety.
"Remember someone who knows you very well wants you dead. I will extend it to your family," she said another text read.
Loesser filed a police report, but police said the messages did not meet the criteria for criminal threats and were classified as annoying texts.
We found similar threatening texts circulated in Australia last year.
"Pay $5,000 or be killed," read a text message obtained by News World. Police told residents there the messages were part of a scam and there was no real threat.
Despite indications the texts are a hoax, Loesser is finding it difficult to get peace of mind.
"Prank or not, as a mother of three I'm not going to sleep well," she said.
No one answered when the phone numbers on the texts were called. Police say scammers often buy pre-paid phones and then throw them away.
Loesser now has a new phone but says she is still wary.
"Whether it's a scam or not they still know way too much about me and I don't know them at all," she said.
