Hoax Causes Headaches,: ; 'Police Officer' Calls Restaurants, Orders Strip Searches

Summary

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The caller to the Phoenix-area Taco Bell said he was a police officer and informed the manager there was a thief on the premises. Someone's pocketbook was missing, the caller said, ordering that a female customer be detained and strip searched in a back office.

But there was no theft. Investigators believe the caller was an impersonator, possibly from north Florida, who has pulled the same stunt dozens of times nationwide since 1999 with alarming success.

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Extract

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Hoax Causes Headaches,: ; 'Police Officer' Calls Restaurants, Orders Strip Searches

The caller, who sometimes poses as a company official, has persuaded managers at restaurants and other stores to detain and search employees for drugs or money. Targets have included Taco Bell, McDonald's, Wendy...

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