POLICE LOG: Man Loses Over $5K in Phone Scam, Other Scams Reported

The following is an excerpt from the Woburn Police Department log. Please note that this is a sampling of activity in the log, not a complete account. We report all arrests included in the daily police log.

Featured Incident

May 21-

At 11:55 p.m. a man came to the station to report a possible scam. The man said he had received a phone call on May 16 from someone who said they were calling from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. The caller said the man’s grandson had been arrested for drunk driving and that he needed to send $1,800 to assist him. The victim said the man on the phone told him not to tell anyone about it.

On May 17 he received another call from someone else identified as “Private Investigator Frank Miller” who said he had taken over the case and that the victim needed to send another $1,800, which the victim did. On May 20 he was told he needed to send an additional $1,750 via wire transfer, which he did. In total he sent $5,350. When the victim was told he would need to pay an additional $45,000 to replace a rental car he called Woburn Police.

Police contacted “Miller” who said he was in Mexico. According to the report what he said didn’t make much since.

Police also contacted the grandson who said he never went to Mexico.

May 21-

At 7:51 a.m. a manager at Dunkin Donuts at 409 Main Street that the store had received a counterfeit $20 bill the day before.

At 10:30 a.m. a caller from Boston Bean Coffee reported that he and about 10-12 other employees had been receiving threatening phone calls from an anonymous caller. In the calls the caller states that a family member has been in an accident and that the caller has them. In some they stated there was a gun being held at the relative’s head. In each instance the caller demanded $1,000 for their safe return.

Police advised that his is a scam.

At 12:54 p.m. a Pearl Street caller reported receiving threatening voice messages from her ex-boyfriend. The messages said she should “watch her back.” She said the ex-boyfriend was also waiting for her in the parking lot of her work that morning. Police advised her to obtain a No Trespass Order and to call 911 if she felt threatened.

At 3:15 p.m. police dispatched to 317 New Boston Street on a report that workers had found a handgun in a catch basin. The caller said the workers had been cleaning round the building and found the firearm in a catch basin.

The handgun was rusted and unidentifiable.

Police attempted to get the serial number but could not due to the handgun’s condition. It was also impossible to identify if a round was in the chamber. The handgun was entered into storage.

At 3:47 p.m. police responded to 100 Sylvan Road on a report of a bullet being found. The caller, an employee of Cummings Property, gave police a Winchester .357 magnum round and a flash drive, which were found close together.

At 6:41 p.m. a North Street caller reported that someone had damaged a rear window of their residence. It appears something the size of a softball was thrown into the window. The caller said an older-model bicycle was also stolen from the yard.