A Pennsylvania woman who thought she was protecting her money instead wired $24,000 straight into the hands of scammers after falling for a sophisticated text-based con that police say is spreading across the country.
“It started with a text message that said, Apple high alert,” the woman, identified only as Barbara, told WGAL.
The message warned that money had allegedly been stolen from her account and instructed her to call a phone number if she did not authorize the transaction.
“So I called the number and the man said, well, we want to protect the rest of your money and you need to go to the bank,” she said.
The caller claimed hackers had infiltrated all of her accounts and told her the only way to keep her money safe was to withdraw it and transfer it to another account for “protection.”
Barbara complied, wiring thousands of dollars exactly where the caller instructed.
Within hours, the money was gone.
“This woman’s money went into a fraudulently created bank account that was made online,” Detective Jonathan Martin of the Manheim Township Police Department told WGAL.
“She wired $20,000 to it. And within two hours, the money was wired to a bank account in China.”
Barbara ultimately lost $24,000 total — money authorities say she is unlikely ever to recover.
“If this would help somebody else, as soon as they say wire money, don’t do it,” she warned.
Police said the scheme is part of a rapidly growing category of fraud known as a “bank impersonation” or “bank investigator” scam that preys on fear, urgency and trust in financial institutions.
“I’d say multiple times a week we receive a case where someone has fallen for the, ‘Someone is taking your money. We need to protect it for you,’” Martin said.
The scams often begin with text messages, emails or phone calls posing as fraud alerts from banks, Apple, PayPal or other trusted companies.
Victims are told their accounts have been compromised or that hackers are draining their funds before scammers escalate pressure by impersonating bank fraud departments or law-enforcement officials demanding immediate action.
Fraudsters may spoof legitimate bank phone numbers, request passwords, one-time authentication codes or Social Security information, and direct victims to move money into supposedly “safe” accounts controlled by criminals.
One of the biggest red flags is any request to wire money, buy gift cards, move funds into cryptocurrency or transfer cash to strangers for “safekeeping,” according to authorities.
Consumer advocates urged victims to independently contact their bank using the number on the back of their debit or credit card — not any number provided in a text message or email.
But once money is wired overseas, the odds recovery become slim.
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