Detectives Warn: Be on the Lookout for Scam Victims Who Are Constantly on Phone at Bank
The Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) interviewed Detectives Gwen Ruppert and Michelle Viney from the Dane County Sheriff’s Office for an upcoming article on check fraud in the July/August issue of Wisconsin Banker. These experienced fraud investigators also shared some tips for frontline staff to spot potential fraud victims at the bank.
Both detectives emphasized that a big red flag which law enforcement hopes bank employees will detect is that victims are often constantly on or consulting their phones when being forced by scammers to authorize large transactions in person.
Detective Viney explained that your customers may have been pressured to visit the branch to withdraw large sums of money and added, “customers are almost always being told to lie to bankers about that transaction.” A typical scenario, part of a growing trend of government agency imposter scams, might be that a victim is contacted by a person claiming to be with the Social Security Administration who alleges the victim’s Social Security number has been compromised and is being used for nefarious purposes. The victim is convinced they will be held accountable, or worse be arrested if they don’t go to their bank to move their money to a “protected” account.
Fraudsters let victims know that bank employees may ask questions about the transaction and then coach victims to produce reasons for the large withdrawal like the purchase of a vehicle or property.
Bad actors will prep victims prior to the bank visit and guide them throughout the transaction by coaching them on the phone. Detective Ruppert added, “the scammer is telling them they need to make sure the transaction goes through and may claim the call is being recorded to make sure the victim isn’t behind the alleged nefarious activities.”
Unfortunately, fraudsters are too often able to convince victims that they are helping protect them by staying on the line and they will continue to apply pressure or use scare tactics. What they don’t want to do is allow any time for the victims to take a moment and question if they are being scammed. This sense of urgency may also be observed by bank staff.
The detectives advise tellers and customer-facing employees to be alert if they see a customer who is either on their phone during transactions (using earbuds, held to their ear, or on speakerphone) or constantly looking at their phone on the counter for directions from the fraudsters.
Viney added that several victims shared that if a teller had passed them a note with a simple message like “I’m concerned you are being scammed. Please let me know who you are on the phone with,” that it may have helped the victim listen to their gut feeling that something was not right about the scenario and they may have been able to divulge to the teller what was really happening.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shares this warning with consumers: Never move your money to “protect it.” That’s a scam. If someone claims there’s fraud or criminal activity on one of your accounts, and tells you to move money from your bank, investment, or retirement account to protect it, it’s a scam.
The FTC has several helpful resources on their website:
• An article entitled “No One Is Using Your Social Security Number To Commit Crimes. It’s a Scam”
• Anatomy of an Imposter Scam blog series breaks down how to recognize, avoid, and report imposter scams.
The Social Security Administration has comprehensive information on their website about avoiding Social Security-related scams.
