Eureka Police are investigating a ransom scam after a 45-year-old Pacific man lost $5,000 when he received a phone call claiming a drug dealer was holding his daughter hostage. The man wired money to a location in Mexico from the Walmart department store, 131 Eureka Towne Center Drive, and he was told to send money from other locations in Eureka and High Ridge, police reported.
The victim was called at about 8:25 p.m. Dec. 7 from a number that appeared to be from his daughter’s phone. When he answered the call, a voice that sounded like his daughter’s said she had just been in an accident in the Eureka Walmart’s parking lot, the report said.
After the daughter said she was in an accident, a man got on the phone and told the victim he was a drug dealer, and that the man’s daughter was taking pictures of his car. He said he was going to destroy the victim’s daughter’s phone and kill her if a ransom was not paid, according to the report.
The man on the phone told the victim to drive to Walmart, and after he got to the store, the victim had to describe what he looked like and what kind of vehicle he was driving. The man on the phone told the victim he could see him and ordered the victim to enter Walmart and send $5,000 to a woman in Mexico, the report said.
The man on the phone told the victim if he was asked why he was sending the money, the victim was to say it was going to a family member, according to the report.
After the money was sent, the victim was told to go to Walgreens, 250 E. Fourth St., and he was to send $2,000 to a different woman in Mexico. However, that money transfer was denied twice, the report said.
The victim was then ordered to start downloading money transferring apps to his phone while he drove to the Walmart store in High Ridge. At the High Ridge Walmart location, 2700 Ridge Point Drive, the man attempted to send $2,500 to another woman in Mexico, but that was denied twice, according to the report.
The man also attempted to send $1,000 to another woman using an application he had been told to download on his phone. However, that transaction would not go through, the report said.
A Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy found the man in the High Ridge Walmart parking lot, and the deputy told the man to stop trying to send money and hang up the phone. The man refused to at first, but the deputy opened the door to the man’s vehicle and he hung up the phone, according to the report.
The victim then called his daughter who told him she had not been involved in an accident at Walmart, the report said.
The incident is similar to two other phone scams reported by the Arnold Police. Two men reported they lost thousands of dollars after being scammed by someone who allegedly used a voice-cloning phone app to pretend to be a loved one who was being held hostage, police reported.
A 47-year-old St. Louis man fell victim to the scam on Oct. 30 and lost $3,929, and a 63-year-old Illinois man reported he was scammed on Nov. 6 and lost $1,976.25, Arnold Police reported.
As of Monday, Dec. 18, none of the victims’ money had been recovered, and no suspects had been identified, authorities said. Eureka Police Capt. Michael Werges said the department is still investigating the incident involving the Pacific man.
Werges said Eureka Police will work with Homeland Security officials to investigate the fake ransom demand. Arnold Police Detective Cpl. Josh Wineinger said his department is working with Homeland Security officials.
Anyone who has been a victim or received a phone call similar to the ransom scam should call Eureka Police at 636-938-6600 or Arnold Police at 636-296-3204.