Scammer Posing As Bank Employee Takes Debit Cards
Elderly residents in Pinellas County are being targeted by a new phone scam that results in the victims handing their debit cards right over to the scammer.
A woman caller acts like a bank employee and shows up at the victim’s houses taking their debit cards and PINs.
“I’ve never seen a pattern where they’ve actually gone to the victim’s home,” Sgt. John Spoor with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said, per ABC Action News. “When they make contact with the victim that there is a problem with their debit or card credit and they will respond to their home and take their debit card and PIN number and have a new chip card sent to their home to help them prevent fraud occurring.”
Once handed the card the women takes it to the ATM and steals cash. So far three victims in Pinellas County and one victim in Hillsborough County have lost thousands of dollars.
A store surveillance camera caught the woman using one of the cards to withdraw money. Now investigators are trying to figure out if this an individual woman crime spree or tied to a bigger ring. They are also looking into leads to determine how these elderly victims were targeted in the first place.
Victims said since the woman knew all of their bank information they thought she was a legitimate bank employee. The victims are angry and embarrassed over the whole ordeal.
Everyone, especially elderly residents in Pinellas and Hillsborough, is advised to be on high alert and to understand that bank employee’s will never make house calls to pick up a debit card.
Surveillance video of the woman caught on camera from the PCSO YouTube page:
Anyone with information about these scams is asked to call Detective J. Holden at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office at (727) 582-6200 or remain anonymous by reporting any information to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-873-TIPS or www.crimestoppersofpinellas.org.
