Cape Girardeau County deputies recover $38,000 sent to scammers

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

CAPE GIRARDEAU COUNTY, Mo. (KBSI) – Cape Girardeau County sheriff’s deputies helped recover $38,000 after a resident was tricked into shipping cash to scammers posing as a Walmart representative and a federal agent.

According to the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office, the resident contacted deputies Nov. 10 after realizing he had shipped the money to an address in California.

Investigators said the scam began with a phone call about an alleged charge on the resident’s Walmart account.

A second caller, claiming to be a federal agent, told the resident he owed approximately $100,000 and could resolve the debt through a process described as “Alternative Dispute Resolution.”

The caller repeatedly instructed the resident not to contact local law enforcement and directed him to ship cash to settle the supposed debt.

After sending the package, the resident became suspicious and contacted the sheriff’s office.

Deputies immediately began working to intercept the shipment before it reached California.

According to the sheriff’s office, initial attempts to stop the package through UPS customer service were unsuccessful.

Deputies continued working with local UPS personnel, St. Louis Airport Police and UPS Security to locate the shipment and submit a high-priority intercept request.

Around 3:36 a.m. Nov. 11, UPS Security confirmed the package had been located at the St. Louis airport with the full $38,000 still inside.

The money was secured for the resident to retrieve.

The sheriff’s office credited cooperation among deputies, UPS personnel and St. Louis Airport Police for the successful recovery.

Authorities are reminding residents to be cautious of callers who claim they owe money, pressure them to send cash or instruct them not to contact law enforcement.

The sheriff’s office recommends ending suspicious calls and independently verifying claims using official contact information.

Anyone who believes they have sent money to a scammer is encouraged to contact law enforcement immediately.

Officials emphasized that stolen money is not always recovered and said the resident’s decision to report the incident quickly allowed deputies to intervene before the package reached its destination.