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(KSL News) The FBI is investigating whether two bomb threats at the Macey's grocery store in Orem are part of a nationwide scam attempting to extort money from businesses.
A male using an Internet phone called the grocery store on Monday demanding all the money in the store. The caller told an employee there was a bomb inside the store and to place the money on the front desk. Employees instead called police.
An anonymous caller made a bomb threat Tuesday against a Dillons grocery in Hutchinson, Kansas, demanding that the store wire money to his bank account and ordering everyone in the store to disrobe.
The caller held 110 customers and employees hostage. One of those hostages was Elaine Peterson. She said, "Mike, the manager, was on the phone all the time talking to this guy, and we could hear bits and pieces, and he was just demanding things all the time, about wanting us to take our clothes off."
No one was injured and no money was paid, police said. On Wednesday, two other stores in Hutchinson also received bomb threats.
Authorities said the caller Tuesday appeared to have visual access to the grocery, although officials were investigating whether the caller was out of state and may have hacked into the store's security system.
At a Wal-Mart in Newport, R.I., managers wired the caller $10,000 before letting police inside to sweep for a bomb that was not there.
Investigators believe the man behind the calls in seven states is actually in Portugal, and they've started the process to have him arrested.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
