An English-speaking scam artist continues to prey on lakeside expats, according to several Guadalajara Reporter readers who may have missed an alert published in the paper’s September 1 edition.
“A few days ago I received a suspicious phone call from a man claiming to be my husband’s nephew Mike,” reports an Ajijic homeowner who contacted the Reporter this week. “He said he was in Tepic and wanted to come here for a visit. I said sure, but afterwards I realized there was something fishy about the call. First of all, the real nephew always goes by the full name Michael. Besides, he’s just not the kind of guy who would travel to Mexico by himself.”
She said the caller spoke fluent English, but without the family’s southern accent. She also noted that he never mentioned her by name, recalling that only her husband’s name is listed in a popular community directory. With suspicions aroused by the time the man called again a few hours later, she I asked him to name his parents. He promptly hung up and never called back.
The Reporter has verified similar accounts of dubious phone calls coming in to four other lakeside residences in the course of this week. Details of these incidents closely mirror a pattern described to local authorities by several unwary expats who have been suckered by an English-speaking con man over the past month.
To date, the Chapala police department has received complaints of at least three extortion scams pulled off by a male who impersonated a relative or acquaintance of the victim. The modus operandi revolves around an initial contact in which the caller says he is en route to the area for an unexpected visit, cannily eliciting pertinent information about his assumed identity in the process.
In a follow-up call, the scammer spins a convincing tale about an emergency situation such as automobile accident or run-in with police, appealing for quick cash to get out of trouble. A third party claiming to be a law enforcement officer may also get on the line to back up the sob story. Targets are then asked to deposit money to an account, usually with the local Wal-Mart banking service.
Telephone caller ID devices have shown the calls originating from either a private line (numero privado) or a cell phone number starting with a 33 prefix.
Authorities advise residents to exercise caution in answering calls from an unknown or unfamiliar sources. If you do pick up and the person doesn’t start by stating his name, be sure to ask who is calling. Avoid giving out any personal information about other family members or local residents you may know. And never shell out money to someone alleging to be in distress without first asking critical questions to verify the person’s identity, phone number, location and circumstances.
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