EAST TEXAS (KLTV) – An East Texas man nearly lost $10,000 after receiving a scam call in which someone claimed his daughter had been kidnapped, according to Smith County Precinct 4 Constable Josh Joplin.<\/p>\n
Joplin said the caller demanded $10,000 and instructed the man to go to the Walmart on Texas Highway 31 East to deposit the money into a machine.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe heard a woman screaming in the background that he was almost positive was his daughter,\u201d Joplin said.<\/p>\n
The situation escalated at the store, Joplin said. The man became so shaken that he lost consciousness and was taken to the hospital. He is in stable condition, Joplin said.<\/p>\n
The man did not deposit the money, and his daughter is safe.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a sad situation. It\u2019s a terrible world that we live in today that people would even do that to someone,\u201d Joplin said.<\/p>\n
Imposter scams remain a major problem nationwide. The Federal Trade Commission reports Americans lost $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025.<\/p>\n
Joplin said one common red flag is being told to use a money transfer or cryptocurrency machine.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you are seeing them telling you to take money to a MoneyGram machine or a bitcoin machine, you can almost guarantee that it\u2019s a scam,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Other warning signs of a scam call include: <\/p>\n
Calls from outside of the countryUnrecognizable phone numberCaller who makes you stay on the lineRequest for things like Pin number, account number, or verification codesImpersonation of a business or someone you may know<\/p>\n
Joplin encourages anyone who receives a suspicious call to contact police and follow local law enforcement for updates on scam prevention.<\/p>\n
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