‘Phantom Hacker’ Drains $20,000 From Bank of America Account – Now the Bank Refuses To Reimburse: Report

Bank of America says a customer is out of luck after a “phantom hacker” drained $20,000 from her account.

Chicago-based business owner Milan Jackson says it all started when she received a phone call from someone who claimed to work at the bank, reports ABC 7.

The man on the phone said someone was trying to take $20,000 from Jackson’s account, warning she needed to act fast to stop the transfer.

Jackson says the man’s phone number matched the number on the back of her BofA debit card, which made the call seem legitimate.

The imposter told Jackson to protect her money by wiring $20,000 to a different account, and soon after the transaction was sent she began to realize something was wrong.

“I get this weird feeling, and so I go into Bank of America, and they confirm that this is a scam.

I shut the phone off. I’m hysterically crying… I can’t believe this is my life. How did this happen and how am I going to get this money back?”

The FBI calls this type of theft “the phantom hacker,” and special agent Rachel LaRocque says these types of scams are growing more sophisticated.

“They may even be able to spoof that bank’s phone number, so the number on your caller ID or cell phone might show that it’s the bank.

Scammers do not discriminate against anyone. They want money from anyone they can take it from.”

In cases like these, Bank of America says it tries to claw back funds but is not responsible for the theft.

The bank says it will never call customers and ask them to send money or a wire transfer.

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