09/04/2026
🚨 **SCAMS & FRAUD: DON’T LET A “BANK EMPLOYEE” STEAL YOUR MONEY** 🚨
Scams and fraud continue to be a hot topic in our area. Our agency, along with our law enforcement partners, has recently seen an increase in residents falling victim to **telephone scams involving criminals impersonating employees of their bank.**
These scams can be extremely convincing. Here's how they typically work:
📞 **It starts with a phone call.**
The victim receives a call from someone claiming to be an employee of their bank. Sometimes, the caller ID will even display the **actual name of the victim's bank.** This is called *spoofing*, and it is one of the ways scammers make their calls appear legitimate.
The caller may ask a few basic questions before telling the victim that their account has been compromised or that someone is attempting to steal their money.
The scammer then begins giving the victim instructions on how to "protect" their money.
📱 **The scammer may move the conversation to another app.**
The scammer may instruct the victim to move the phone call to an application such as **WhatsApp** or another messaging/communication platform. This helps the scammer maintain contact with the victim throughout the entire process.
🏦 **The victim is instructed to withdraw cash.**
The scammer may tell the victim to drive to their bank and withdraw a large amount of money.
Here's where the scam becomes particularly deceptive.
The scammer may tell the victim:
> **"Do NOT tell the bank teller why you're really withdrawing the money."**
They may claim that the bank teller is involved in the fraud investigation or cannot be trusted.
The victim may be instructed to tell the teller that the money is being withdrawn for **"personal reasons."**
The scammer may insist that the victim **stay on the phone with them the entire time.**
💵 **Then comes the handoff.**
After withdrawing the money, the victim may be instructed to meet a third party at a location and hand over the cash for "safe keeping."
**THAT PERSON IS NOT A BANK EMPLOYEE.**
They are part of the scam.
💳 **Other times, the scammer may instruct the victim to send the money electronically.**
Scammers may ask victims to transfer money through services such as:
• Zelle
• Cash App
• Other peer-to-peer payment services
They may also instruct victims to purchase **gift cards** and provide the scammer with photographs of the gift cards or the card numbers and PINs.
Once the scammer receives the money or gift card information, **your money is usually gone.**
# # # 🚩 HERE ARE THE WARNING SIGNS:
Your bank will **NOT** ask you to:
❌ Withdraw large amounts of cash and give it to someone for "safe keeping."
❌ Lie to a bank teller about why you are withdrawing money.
❌ Keep a bank employee from speaking with you about your transaction.
❌ Transfer your money to another account because your money is supposedly "at risk."
❌ Give your cash to a stranger who claims to be working for the bank.
❌ Purchase gift cards and provide the card numbers or PINs.
❌ Send money through Zelle, Cash App, or another payment service to "protect" your account.
❌ Stay on the phone while you complete these instructions.
# # # 🛑 WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
**STOP. HANG UP. VERIFY.**
If someone calls claiming to be from your bank and tells you that your money is in danger:
**1️⃣ Hang up the phone.**
**2️⃣ Do NOT call the number that called you.**
**3️⃣ Contact your bank using the phone number on the back of your debit/credit card or another trusted source.**
**4️⃣ Explain exactly what happened.**
**5️⃣ If you're at the bank, tell the teller exactly what the caller instructed you to do.**
And remember:
# # # **YOUR BANK WILL NEVER ASK YOU TO WITHDRAW YOUR MONEY AND GIVE IT TO A STRANGER FOR "SAFE KEEPING."**
If someone is telling you to do that, **you are almost certainly being scammed.**
If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement agency and your financial institution as soon as possible.
**When in doubt, STOP. HANG UP. VERIFY.** 🛑📞🏦
Please share this information with your parents, grandparents, neighbors, friends, and anyone else who may be targeted by these scams. **A few minutes of caution could save someone their life savings.**
