Phone Hoaxes Linked to Panama City

Officials believe one man has made those calls to restaurants posing as a police officer or a company official. The man directs a restaurant manager to strip-search a worker or even a customer.

It's been happening across the country for about five years. In a recent case, the caller got a Phoenix-area Taco Bell manager to strip-search a 17-year-old female customer for a pocketbook that was supposedly missing.

There was no theft and the manager is on leave while law officials investigate.

Investigators say several calls were made from a Panama City, Florida pay phone. They're not sure of the motive.

A spokesman for Wendy's International says the calls are “a terrible scam.'' Four Boston-area Wendy's were hit in February.

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