I'm a pastor also. Received a call from this number from JOHN WEST with same story about mother's death and needing busfare to get home. When I suggested local help and told him we would not wire money or buy tickets, he became beligerant. I hung up on him, but followed up by checking the number. Thanks for all who posted.
Got a call from this number from a man calling himself John, saying he needed me to call him back concerning a death (I am a pastor). I didn't call him back but he called another member of our church telling him that he had visited our church in TN. He had gone to FL because his mom had been killed in a car wreck. He was on his way home when his car broke down. He was at a bus station with his two girls and wanted someone to wire him$125 in Florida so he and his kids to get home. We didn't. We don't send people money.
I have gotten this same story a couple of other times over the years. It is a scam.
I got the same call. Called him back and he is very convincing, asks for prayer. This time he was in Florida and car broke down needing to get back home. Same bus ticket story. I almost fell for it, was going to check visitor records at church first but googled the number and found your post. Thanks for doing that...saved us time and money that could be used for someone truly in need. Btw-he called back and told me of a walmart near me that would stay open til I got there. I had already read your post and told him he had been caught in the act. He of course had no idea what I was talking about!!!!!!!!!
We, too, received a call from John Williamson claiming his mom had been killed. He called twice. Same story: bus station, Walmart...When he said that he had met us at church, I asked which church. He mentioned the name. When I told him that church had disbanded, we got "cut off.". He hasn't called back.
I'm a pastor also. Received a call from this number from JOHN WEST with same story about mother's death and needing busfare to get home. When I suggested local help and told him we would not wire money or buy tickets, he became beligerant. I hung up on him, but followed up by checking the number. Thanks for all who posted.