The Bay County Sheriff’s Office would like to make the public aware of a scam that is currently under investigation in Bay County.
On July 11, it was reported to the Sheriff’s Office that a 75 year old grandmother received a telephone call from a male subject advising her that her grandson was in custody in Mexico, and that he needed money in order to get out of jail. She advised that the man went on to say that the grandson had been in a car crash, and that drugs had been found in the vehicle. She was directed to go to several different Western Union locations, and subsequently wired over $23,000 to an unknown individual in Mexico City, Mexico.
She later received a telephone call that indicated that her grandson was flying into the Panama City airport. The grandson was later located working on Panama City Beach, and had never left the country.
A variation of this scam is citizen’s being contacted by email with a friends name advising that the friend has been robbed in a foreign country and is requiring money to return home.
This information is being released in an effort to make the public aware of this type of scam, and to urge citizens to be on guard if they receive this type of telephone call.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office is working with the US Postal Inspection Service to investigate this case.
BCSO REPORT by Major Tommy Ford