When a stranger calls you on the telephone to tell you that a loved one is in jail in a foreign country and is in need of money in order to be released, it could be the work of a scam artist.

Recently, a Webster Groves resident in the first block of North Old Orchard received a call from a stranger who said the resident’s granddaughter had been arrested in Mexico and needed money.

Unfortunately, the resident provided personal and financial information to the caller. He later discovered that his granddaughter was perfectly fine and in Kansas City, not in Mexico.

Patch contacted Webster Groves Police Department for details on this crime and how to prevent others from victimization.

Stephen R. Spear, Captain, Division of Investigations and Support Commander with the Webster Groves Police Department issued this statement, “This is not an uncommon scam, and one we see periodically.  We always recommend that our residents attempt to confirm the welfare of their loved ones before sending money. Typically when an American citizen is arrested outside the United States, notification would be through the US Consular.”

Calls of this nature are often made to grandparents pleading for money to help release their grandchildren from a jail in a foreign country. The caller uses the victim’s emotional response as a way to extract personal and financial information.