WHITE OAK, Ohio — In September, we introduced you to Christy Taylor, the latest victim of a slick bank scam that convinces you there is a problem with your savings or checking account.
The Cincinnati woman answered the phone when the caller ID showed her bank's number.
"Of course when it showed up, I answered it," she said.
The caller claimed the bank found a fraudulent withdrawal from her account, and told her she needed to take action immediately to protect the rest of it.
"He said you need to take your money out and transfer it to another bank," Taylor said.
It made sense.
She listened as the caller instructed her to transfer her funds of almost $10,000 onto a prepaid debit card.
But by the time she took her money to another bank, Taylor says all of her funds were gone.
"$9,600," she said. "I'm like, oh my God, I just got scammed out of a lot of money."
Many people fall for these calls
The Better Business Bureau has been receiving hundreds of complaints about this scam over the past year, which uses the name of many popular banks and may arrive by email, text message or call to your cell phone.
In every case, the caller/texter convinces you they are an employee of your bank's fraud department and says you must act immediately to protect your funds from theft.
It is very easy to fall for, the BBB says.
We contacted Taylor's bank asking if they could possibly reverse the transfer.
But after a two-week investigation, the bank told her it was unable to help since it determined that Taylor withdrew the money herself.
After our initial report, Taylor's family posted a GoFundMe page to try to recover some of the money lost, especially since she is facing huge bills for her health issues.
She currently has almost $1,000 in pledged donations, but needs several thousand more to pay her bills and come close to the amount she lost to the scammer.
So don't trust a bank call or text you're not expecting. Check with the bank directly, or visit a local branch, to see if the alert is real.
"That's our life savings they took from us," she said.
That way you don't waste your money.
__________________________________
"Don't Waste Your Money" is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. ("Scripps").
Follow John:
- Facebook:John Matarese Money
- Instagram: @johnmataresemoney
- X/Twitter: @JohnMatarese
Follow Taylor:
- Facebook: Taylor Nimmo
- Instagram:@tnimms
- X/Twitter: @tnimms
For more consumer news and money saving advice, go to www.dontwasteyourmoney.com
