Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa Message Board - Heads up ex-pat residents - phone scam - they're back!

Heads up ex-pat residents - phone scam - they're back! (reply)

ZihuaRob — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 15:28:43 +0000

Heads up! Another friend lost 100,000 pesos to phone scammers last week. Yes, she was too gullible and yes they took advantage of that. She's now learned her lesson, but it cost her a considerable sum of money.

If you have Caller ID (Identificador de Llamadas) the number they used was 55-3696-2153. It appears to be a cellphone with a number that corresponds to Delegación Benito Juárez in Mexico City. Probably a jailed convict.

It happened to me! (reply)

Canadian Rainbirds — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 06:16:14 +0000

It happened to me! I totally fell for it. They spoke totally accentless English and said they were my nephew who had been attending a wedding in Acapulco, and was renting a car to drive here to visit me. Then they called saying they had had a traffic accident...on and on...texts and calls...said they needed $20,000p or they would go to jail...I lost $3,000p, and totally feel like a fool!!! Oh well...I guess you live and learn.

Ita Thanks for posting that. More victims need to come forward with their personal stories.

Here's the phone number they used (reply)

pears — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 23:18:28 +0000

Yes -- that's the same one they used to call me. 333-899-8593

Here's the phone number they used (reply)

jr — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 22:01:19 +0000

333 899 8593

It happened to me! (reply)

jr — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 21:58:47 +0000

It happened to me! I totally fell for it. They spoke totally accentless English and said they were my nephew who had been attending a wedding in Acapulco, and was renting a car to drive here to visit me. Then they called saying they had had a traffic accident...on and on...texts and calls...said they needed $20,000p or they would go to jail...I lost $3,000p, and totally feel like a fool!!! Oh well...I guess you live and learn.

Heads up ex-pat residents - phone scam (reply)

ZihuaRob — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 19:16:36 +0000

The phone number they gave you may be helpful in any investigation by the Ministerio Público.

At the very least perhaps you could post it here so it is indexed by the search engines.

Heads up ex-pat residents - phone scam (reply)

pears — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 19:10:07 +0000

I got hit up last week as well -- said it was my husband's nephew and/or cousin. I kept having trouble understanding the name and then he said he was with "Mike" and I asked "Mike "? Thus giving him the last name to further the scam. They called back again "on their way to see me" and were in an accident. The whole thing was very involved with numerous phone calls and the supposed victims getting on the phone as well. I told them I could not wire money and I certainly was not coming down to where they were. I asked for their number and said I would see what I could do. They game me their Mexican cell phone # (which did work). I texted "Mike's" cousin in the U.S. who confirmed that he was not in Mexico. I never called them back and never heard from them again. Even when I was becoming aware that it was a scam, it was somewhat convincing just because of how elaborate their story was.

Heads up ex-pat residents - phone scam (reply)

Semma4 — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 16:32:53 +0000

Rob - exactly this happened to me just last week! The caller said he was my 'favorite nephew' on his way to Zihua after a wedding in Acapulco. Problem immediately was that I have NO relatives with American accents. Anyway the phone connection was very bad, but he did, indeed, call back stating that he had been involved in a fender bender. I said that I couldn't help him with that - so he hung up, not to be heard from again.

Heads up ex-pat residents - phone scam (reply)

Linda from Canada — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 15:29:08 +0000

Gracias for the heads up!

Heads up ex-pat residents - phone scam

ZihuaRob — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 15:25:00 +0000

If you have a listed phone number please be aware of a scam that has been going on for months where someone who appears to be someone you know or even a relative contacts you either by phone or text message to ask for help. A common theme recently has been that they are involved in a vehicular accident and need you to wire them money. Acapulco has been mentioned several times that I'm aware of as the scene of the alleged accident, but it's possible other destinations are used. When you try to contact your friend by phone you find them unreachable (this may just be a coincidence). The person speaks and writes perfect English. You will be asked to send money to an Oxxo account (one of the easiest ways to send money around the country). It's not apparent if it's just coincidence you can't reach your friend or relative or if the scammer already knows this. I suspect it's simply coincidence. I also suspect the scammer may actually be in jail and that they have persons on the outside collect the money, either by coercion or they are partners. Extorsions and scams by phone from jailed persons is an old problem in Mexico.

These scammers have hit both Mexicans and ex-pat residents. The number of victims is surprising.

I'm aware of numerous complaints being filed with the "proper authorities" (Ministerio Público) but it appears the same scammers are still getting away with it. This matter has been written about in local and national papers, but it appears Zihuatanejo may be being targeted by a group going after foreigners with listed phone numbers or with phone numbers available on the internet, so I wanted to post a warning here since apparently a lot of our foreign residents don't keep up very well with local and national news in Spanish.

Personally I have caller ID on our home phones and we never answer if we don't recognize the number, though I have been known to "play games" with undesired callers from time to time.