Members of the American Society (Amsoc) in Guadalajara say they are certain they were targeted by scam artists who had obtained their names and local telephone numbers.
Two members report having received calls from an English-speaking person who claimed to be a friend or close acquaintance. Calling them by their first names, the caller explained that he arrived in Guadalajara with the purpose of purchasing a home in the Lake Chapala area. The person continues to say that he brought down with him 100,000 dollars but was stopped by customs officials at the Guadalajara Airport and informed that this was well over the legal limit of 10,000 dollars.
The targets were then asked if they could bring 22,000 pesos to the airport so that customs could “release” the funds. The phone was then passed to a Mexican purporting to be a customs official, who said in broken English that this was true and a legal requirement.The caller then told his targets that he would “make it up and more” to them once his funds were released.
Both the Amsoc members said the callers seemed very convincing and one actually went to the airport to deliver the money. Fortunately, he failed to make contact with the scammer at the designated meeting place and returned home.
The other Amsoc member was not fooled and hung up on the caller.