JPMorgan Chase Customer Loses $35,000 To Scammers Impersonating Bank’s Fraud Department and the FBI

A JPMorgan Chase customer has been swindled out of over $35,000 by scammers posing as the bank’s anti-fraud officials and the FBI.

Illinois resident Jennifer Lichthardt says she feels violated after criminals used a spoofing scheme to convince her to transfer $35,000 to a Chase account controlled by the scammers, reports ABC 7 Chicago.

It all began when Lichthardt answered a call that displayed on her cell phone as her bank’s number.

Says Lichthardt,

“It was the number on the back of my Chase debit card, and it said Chase Fraud Department…

They read me my account number. They had my account balance down to the penny.”

The scammers convinced her that the FBI and Chase’s anti-fraud officials were investigating the bank’s own employees accessing customer accounts and that she needed to transfer her money to keep it safe.

She followed the scammers’ instructions and transferred $35,000 into a new “secured Chase account” at her local branch and thousands of dollars to another online bank.

The scammers withdrew the funds once they were deposited, according to the bank.

Chase says in a statement,

“We urge all consumers to ignore phone, text or internet requests to move money or gain access to their computer or bank accounts. Banks and legitimate companies won’t make these requests, but scammers will.”

Lichthardt reported the theft to law enforcement and is hoping she’ll recover her funds.

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