A fraudster posing as an investigator with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) scammed a Wells Fargo customer out of tens of thousands of dollars.
According to a new report by KOB4, a local news outlet in New Mexico, a woman was contacted by a scammer pretending to be an employee of the FDIC – the government agency that insures banks – and convinced her to hand over $60,000.
The victim says the fraudster told her that her account was under investigation and needed to be cleared out. She also said that the bad actor somehow also locked down her cell phone – she couldn’t make outgoing calls, send texts or open any apps, only receive incoming calls.
However, she was told that a courier would come and pick up the cash from her. She said someone appeared with an FDIC badge, collected the cash, and unlocked her phone for her.
Days later, she contacted the man asking for her check and was told that it was coming. She said that at this moment, she knew she was likely never getting her funds back.
When the new agency reached out to Wells Fargo, they got a response saying the bank never experienced a security breach. As stated by the bank, according to the report,
“We deeply empathize with people affected by financial scams and understand the significant emotional and financial toll on its victims. If you are asked to send a payment, hand over cash, your debit card, move your money, or withdraw your funds to prevent or stop fraud in your account, it’s a scam. Immediately report that to your bank and law enforcement.”
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