True Crime: Bank Imposter Scam
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In today's digital age, scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, commonly targeting victims via text message. This article recounts the real-life story of a woman who fell victim to a scammer impersonating her bank. While the name of the victim has been changed, and she was not a SAFE member, her story is unfortunately similar to those encountered by local financial institutions and their members everyday.
Her story aims to shed light on the tactics used by scammers and provide insights on how you can protect yourself from similar threats. take a look at Missy's story:
Missy Carlson says she received a text message from someone who claimed to work for her bank.
“It said ‘Did you authorize a $3,500 dollar payment? ‘Yes, or no,’ and I texted 'No.'”
“So, I called my bank, and while the line is ringing, I got a caller ID coming in and it said it was from my bank, so I hung up and answered the call.”
Missy says the person on the other line claimed to work for her bank and even provided an employee ID number, which Missy later verified with her bank was actually a fake number.
She says the caller then explained how they were going to reverse the fraudulent transfer by having Missy send two transactions to herself, totaling $3,500.
“They said ‘I’m going to text you a number and you’re going to read the number to me.’ And I said, ‘Okay,’ and so I did, and then he said ‘Okay, now I need you to Zelle yourself a thousand dollars,'" Missy explains.
The whole situation didn't quite feel right, but with everything happening so fast, and the scammer saying and doing all the right things, she decided to listen to the scammers.
"I didn’t feel right about it, so I called the bank, and I went online immediately and saw that my money was gone,” Missy says.
Missy unknowingly made some critical mistakes that may have been avoided if she knew what to look out for. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, here are some tips to help protect yourself.
Look out for these red flags:
> The person contacting you about an alleged problem with your bank account is pushy or aggressive.
> They insist there's no other way to fix the problem other than following their instructions.
> If it is a text or email, their message has grammatical errors.
How to prevent this type of fraud:
> Only use money transfer apps with people you know.
> If the person claiming a problem with your account needs your account info, look up your credit union or bank's phone number yourself and call them directly.
> Don't call the number in the text, email, or voice mail, as it will connect you with the scammers. Instead, call your bank or credit union directly. They can confirm if there is a legitimate problem with your account.
If you ever feel uncertain about any communication you receive regarding your SAFE accounts, you can always give us a call at 1-800-763-8600. Your SAFE family is happy to assist and hopefully give you peace of mind.