In a troubling trend, scammers are becoming increasingly adept at deceiving individuals by mimicking legitimate banks and companies with remarkable accuracy. A recent victim, a local young man from New Square, experienced this firsthand when he was swindled out of nearly $10,000, highlighting the growing risk to others.
On Tuesday, the man received a call from what appeared to be his bank, Bank of America. The caller ID matched the bank’s official number, lending an air of credibility to the call. The person on the line claimed to be from the fraud department, alerting him to suspicious activity on his account.
To address the issue, the caller offered to set up an additional security measure to detect fraud more efficiently. Trusting the seemingly legitimate call, the man agreed. He was then sent a text with a link, which directed him to a website that closely resembled Bank of America’s official site.
During the call, the supposed bank representative asked the man to identify recognized and unrecognized charges to pinpoint the fraudulent activity. Throughout the conversation, he received several text messages with verification codes. Assured by the caller’s convincing demeanor, he provided these codes.
After completing the so-called security setup, the man ended the call, believing his account was now more secure. However, when he checked his bank balance later that night, he was shocked to find only $43 remaining from his previous balance of $9,200.
Determined to prevent others from falling victim to similar scams, the man is sharing his experience. He emphasizes the importance of skepticism, even when a call or website appears genuine. Notably, legitimate banks and insurance companies will never request a code received via text. It is crucial never to share these codes with anyone.
If you suspect a scam, always ask for further verification of the caller’s identity and a callback number. Should the caller hesitate or react defensively, end the call immediately.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the sophisticated methods employed by scammers and the importance of vigilance in protecting personal and financial information.
It is also important info for people to know that if you’re banking online using WiFi it can pose a serious security risk.
I was using
My laptop at Finkelstein library and was swindled out of $1,500
How diy they call from bank’s phone number??
This is not true. Banks do send a 5 or 6 digit code legitimately and ask you for it. That’s Bank of America as well as Wells Fargo.