THE VILLAGES, Fla. – Chase Bank officials contacted retired Indiana postal worker Robert Wolfe Thursday afternoon to tell him they would be unable to retrieve his funds lost in a text message scheme.
Wolfe, who now resides in the Villages, contacted News 6 to expose the scheme involving Chase bank security imposters.
The case was reopened after News 6 contacted the bank but a spokesperson from the bank’s executive office called Wolfe and indicated there would be no help because he had given the one-time code.
In a written statement to News 6, a Chase spokesperson said: “It’s heartbreaking when criminals trick consumers into sending money or sharing their account information, passwords, or one-time passcodes. Banks will never call you to ask for this type of information, but scammers will.”
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Wolfe said text messages appeared on his cell phone on Sept. 25 asking if he had approved transactions of $1,340 and just under $10,000.
When he replied “NO” to both transaction inquiries he was told to expect a call from Chase security.
“The scammers are using Chase’s very own system against them,” Wolfe told News 6. “I believed without a doubt I was talking to someone from Chase Security.”
The bank has confirmed the people behind those text messages had no connection to Chase Bank.
The caller said they would send an OTP or One Time Password.
In this case, a 6-digit code was sent to his phone to confirm his identity. He was then told to send that code back.
He told News 6 he realized something was not right and called the number on the back of his bank card.
The bank confirmed someone had attempted to get a $16,500 cash advance, Wolfe said he was able to stop that because a cash advance transaction takes 2 days.
But the $11,000 taken from his checking account was siphoned in a matter of minutes.
“I’ve reached the point where my money is safer in my pocket than it is in my bank, Wolfe said. “It happened very, very quickly.”
Caroline O’Brien-Buster, U.S. Secret Service special agent-in-charge for the Orlando headquarters. said her office investigates reports of dozens of similar bank-related schemes with all the major banks including, Chase, Wells Fargo, Regions, and Bank of America.
“They (consumers) think if I’m getting it on my phone it must be legitimate,” O’Brien-Buster said. “Just take a step back and call your bank and ask, ‘was this legitimate or is someone trying to scam me?’”
Despite Chase’s decision, News 6 is going to continue to investigate the case. It appears the funds were transferred to an account in the New York City area.
Here are additional ways people can keep their accounts protected:
- Consumers should protect their personal account information, passwords and one-time passcodes.
- Never click on suspicious links or grant anyone remote access to your phone or computer.
- Banks will never call, text or email asking for you to send money to yourself or anyone else to prevent fraud.
- If you want to be sure you are talking to a legitimate representative of your bank, call the number at the back of your card or visit a branch.
- To learn more about common scams and ways to protect yourself, visit: www.chase.com/securitycenter.
If you have a consumer or banking issue email makeendsmeet@wkmg.com or text the words make ends meet along with your contact information and issue to 407-676-7428.
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