The call was unnerving to a grandmother: Her grandson who lives in mid-Missouri had been arrested in Mexico, where a friend had been killed. While traveling with another person, the grandson was incarcerated and was in grave trouble.
Police, said the caller, had determined that the grandson had drugs. During their investigation, the caller said, the illegal substance was traced to the Philippines. Later, the call was transferred to the U.S. Embassy, where the voice on the line requested confidentiality and a $2,450 deposit to aid the grandson.
It was hoax.
The woman and her husband wised up before making a Western Union transfer last week and paid a visit to Texas County Sheriff Carl Watson, who told them they had done the right thing. Watson told the pair that these scams have been reported before in the county, usually involving a Canada angle.
By the way, the Texas County grandmother called her grandson. He was fine in Jefferson City.