BOSTON -- Investigators say someone posing as the police called several local fast food restaurants telling managers they must strip search their employees -- and they did.

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Jim Boyd Reports On Scam RESOURCES Reaction: Statement From Wendy's

NewsCenter 5's Jim Boyd reported that four Wendy's fast food restaurant supervisors were told Saturday that their employees were stealing from customers, and to conduct immediate strip searches.

"The person on the other end identified themselves as a detective from Whitman and said one of the employees was a wanted suspect and asked them to do a strip search," said Whitman Deputy Police Chief Raymond Nelson. "Evidently, they were strip searched."

The incidents happened in Whitman and West Bridgewater.

Police in West Bridgewater declined to be interviewed for this report, but said a similar case in their town has two victims -- the person coerced into making the illegal search and the person who was searched.

Wendy's released a statement Wednesday that said "the chain (has) fallen victim to vicious scam," and, "we are certainly embarrassed and saddened over all that has happened... Our deepest apologies go out to our employees who were drawn into this scam. They thought they were responding to the direct orders from the police."

Police say they would never act in such a way.

"We would always go in person or have the person come to the police station," said Nelson.

Wendy's customers say they cannot believe what happened.

"The employees have certain rights and management has certain privileges, but just on hearsay, I wouldn't have done that," said one customer.

"If my son or my daughter were working here part-time, I would just be totally flabbergasted if they came home and told me that this had happened to them," said another customer.

Boyd said similar incidents have been reported in Ohio, New York and Florida dating back to 2000.

The supervisors have been suspended with pay pending an investigation.