The Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) advises of a group that is using unwitting messengers to hold up retail stores.
The story goes like this, an ad is placed in the local papers for messengers who are asked to send in their resume and shortly thereafter given the job. All this is done online and without a personal meeting.
For his or her first assignment the messenger is given a location to make a pickup and to ask for a specific person, the manager or person in charge at the time. The group behind this scheme has already called to get the name of the person.
The messenger is asked to call back to the boss when they have the person in front of them, which is then handed the phone and told by the voice on the other end that this is a robbery, the messenger is armed and they should deposit cash in an envelope and hand it to the messenger.
The messenger, not knowing what is really happening, takes the envelope leaves the store and per instructions is to deposit the cash in the envelope to a prepaid cell phone account. uh?
So far some 40 complaints have been filed using this method. The OIJ is asking victims not to be afraid to file a report.
Authorities believe those behind the scheme are behind bars, residing in La Reforma prison in Alajuela.