The good news is that you’ve won the lottery, and in a big way. The one-time payout after taxes are is something like $196,961,169.13. The money has been safely deposited in your account.
But here comes the bad news. The lottery administration insisted on making a public display of your good fortune, and predictably that’s backfired in the worst way. Criminals have abducted the person you love most in the world and are demanding a cool $$10,000,000 ransom. You’ve 48 hours to pay up or they’ll ship your dear one back to you in five separate boxes. Just so you know they’re not kidding around, they’ve already FedExed an ear. As per usual, they warn you not to go to the authorities.
Do you do as instructed by the bad guys, or call in the FBI?
I’m calling the feds. Not doing so pretty much guarantees they’re going to try this again. Plus the ear thing pisses me off, I might, might have been more willing to pay had they not maimed my love.
Then I’m hiring Liam Neeson and his particular set of skills.
I go to the authorities. Even your average 419-scammer is perfectly willing to leverage one con into a larger con, so you’re a damn fool if you think the kind of sick bastard who maims innocent people to make a point is above asking for another twenty million once he’s got his first ten.
The bastards’ assumption is that the ear will cause me to give them everything they ask for. I’m not falling for that. But I’m afraid of doing the wrong thing and making the situation worse. The feds have experience with this sort of thing; let them take care of it.
I want my guy back. If he’s lost an ear, at least he’s still got his life. I’m not taking any chances with that.
I’m calling the authorities , they have far more resources and there’s little guarantee you’ll actually see your loved one again , I’d at least like the kidnappers brought to justice.
To begin with, I don’t trust the baddies to keep their part of the bargain.
Also, abstract morality: if I pay them, it just makes it that much more likely they, or someone like them, will try it again. It might be me next time!
Call the cops ASAP.
But think of the ransom as a loan. When you get your loved one back, then you can hunt down the kidnappers for the money. Plus, there’s no way for them to RECEIVE the money in such a way that they can’t be tailed.
That being said, isn’t it true that kidnappers frequently kill their victims AFTER receiving ransom (no use for them anymore)?
Is there a way for the cops to not blow their cover? That is, can someone notify the authorities and have the authorities be discreet enough not to tip off the bad guys that the cops are now involved?
Or are cops like a bull in a china shop, it’ll be obvious that they’re manhunting/searching?
Call the authorities. That’s really what I would do
But what I’d wish I could do is based on that movie in which Mel Gibson’s son was kidnapped.
Go on TV with the whole ransom in cash displayed. Then tell the kidnappers that they will never get it, the cash will be paid to whomever can bring in the kidnappers.
That “honor among thieves” thing is bull. I remember seeing a story that I think was from Arizona, but no cite. A local TV station was among the first to play one of those re-enactment ads of a crime, with a number to call the police to turn in the perp. Two guys were in a bar and one snickered at that ad, telling his buddy that the perp was himself. His buddy excused himself to “go to the bathroom” and instead called the cops, to get the reward.
Won’t do much good. Movies not withstanding, he is one of the staunchest anti-gun people around. They sure make him a lot of money from his movies. ( Slightly hypocritical IMO )
(edit to add) I would do what JP Getty did when he was put in that spot.
I think there are two problems with that movie (“Ransom,” 1996, starring Gibson and Gary Sinise and Rene Russo.) The first is that such a reward would lead to numerous false leads from people trying to cash in (and the movie specifically showed that; there were numerous useless leads.) The second is that, how would the criminals believe they would get legal immunity if they turned themselves and their partners in?
Go to the police immediately. I assume that my loved one is dead already, and the ransom is the connection between the kidnappers and me that can be exploited.
If the cops want me to put up the $10M for the ransom, no problem. No doubt they will record the serial numbers or mark it with ultraviolet ink or something.
But when I get my loved one back, alive or not, I have $186 million and a lot of time on my hands. I can easily spend $100 million tracking the kidnappers down, and still have plenty left to celebrate when they are convicted.