Police Issue Warning on Spread of Fake ‘Fraud Department’ Scammers as One Victim Loses $15,000 to Scheme: Report

Scammers are reportedly posing as bank fraud investigators to steal money from unsuspecting victims.

According to WPLG Local 10, the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) in Florida has issued a warning about the scheme and is urging the public to be vigilant amid rising cases of bank-related phone scams.

WPLG reports that the BSO Pompano Beach District has already received more than a dozen complaints from residents who were tricked into handing out thousands of dollars to the scammers.

Deputies say that one victim lost $15,000 to the scheme. A couple was also tricked into giving up their debit cards and personal identification numbers (PINs), resulting in more than $9,000 in fraudulent charges.

The bad actors typically contact their prospective victims, pretending to work for the fraud department of the victim’s bank.

The scammers then claim there are suspicious activities on the victim’s account that require immediate action to protect the funds. They then tell the victims to withdraw large sums of money or hand over their debit cards and PINs.

In some cases, the scammer arranges for an Uber to pick up the money or the debit card, instructing the victim to place the envelope containing these items in the backseat and not speak to the driver.

The police say that legitimate banks will not tell their clients to withdraw money and send it through a ride-share service, nor will they ask to hand over debit cards and PINs to a third party.