A JPMorgan Chase customer almost lost thousands of dollars to a scam after a fraudster masquerading as an employee of the banking giant gave him a call.
The unnamed victim says he received a call from a number that appears to belong to Chase, reports NBC Montana.
The victim says the caller claimed he was working for the bank and convinced him to withdraw $17,000 from his account and hand it over to the FBI for security purposes.
The victim also says the scammer told him that the money would be moved to a “new account.”
Believing that the caller was actually working for Chase to secure his funds, the victim says he followed the instructions and gave the funds to an Uber driver booked by the scammer.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) joined forces with the West Palm Beach Police Department and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office’s South Florida Criminal Apprehension Team to stop the Uber driver and collect all $17,000 of the victim’s cash.
Says the MSCO,
“It is rare that law enforcement is able to recover stolen cash in these types of scams, which is why it is so important for potential victims to recognize the warning signs and never follow such instructions. In this case, no arrests were made, but the victory comes from the fact that the victim did not lose the money.”
Authorities say the Uber driver is innocent and was booked to collect and move the money. Police say agencies and banks will never ask you to withdraw funds for security measures.
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