The Big Picture
Bank wire fraud schemes are becoming increasingly common, with scammers pretending to be from financial institutions. Scammers can manipulate caller ID information and send seemingly legitimate text messages to gain access to online banking accounts. Individuals should be cautious about providing sensitive information over the phone and should independently verify any suspicious calls or messages with their bank.
Andy Cohen fell victim to a bank wire fraud scheme, losing thousands of dollars, and he’s not alone. Shaun Robinson, an entertainment journalist, producer, and television host, narrowly avoided a similar fate. Apparently, many banking customers and credit union members are facing calls that appear to be from their financial institutions. Unfortunately, these calls are actually scams perpetrated by individuals seeking to obtain sensitive information and gain access to online banking accounts. Many scammers possess the ability to manipulate caller ID information or the number displayed in a text message, creating the illusion that the communication is originating from your financial institution.
This deception can occur even if the number is saved in your contacts; hence, an incoming call is not necessarily genuine, despite the displayed bank or credit union information. Scammers may be aware of the bank or credit union you use. They employ tactics such as falsifying the caller ID or sending seemingly legitimate text messages from your financial institution, ostensibly to verify recent purchases.
That is what happened to Cohen and Robinson, who are both actively warning people about how to steer clear of such scams.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Release Date October 7, 2008
Cast Kandi Burruss , Cynthia Bailey , Kenya Moore , NeNe Leakes , Porsha Williams , Sheree Whitfield
Rating TV-14
Seasons 15
Andy Cohen Had Two Bank Accounts Cleaned Out
Image via Bravo
Cohen, the Bravo producer of The Real Housewives franchise was at the dentist when he got a phone call from his bank. It all looked legit. “They said there was a fraud alert from my bank,” said Andy, “And I was like, ‘Oh this is attached to the card that I lost.’ He then asked me for my Apple ID and password, and I was like this had never happened before.” Cohen quickly logged into his bank application through his phone and believes that somehow by doing so he gave the caller access to his bank application. The caller started naming some of the latest charges that were made on the account, which he confirmed. “They clearly had access to my account, and I was like, ‘Yes these are real.’ What I should have said was, ‘I’ll call you back, or say I’m going to go to my bank and handle this.” Instead, Cohen stayed on the line and talked to the woman who supposedly called from the fraud department and continued going through the charges made. When she completely gained his trust, she proceeded with the scam. “She said: ‘I need you to enter these numbers into your phone. I went to the keypad and entered a bunch of numbers and I did.”
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To his shock, what came up on his screen was a message that read that he had set up a call and message forwarding to another number. “I immediately took a screenshot of it, and she said: ‘Ignore that.'” So, Cohen did as he was told, and was even polite enough to say that he appreciated all the help. The caller then said she was going to take care of the fraudulent charges and would call him back in 30 minutes, which, of course, she didn’t. “I called a fraud alert, and they asked me for my debit card which I didn’t have, so I was trying to get an operator, and they said we’ll call you back, but what I didn’t realize is that all the calls were being forwarded to that other scammer. Last night I got messages that things were happening on my account, and I was wondering why they didn’t call me back. I go to the bank and these people wired out of two accounts that I have, a lot of money. The bank called me to confirm the wires that those fraudsters were making, but because I sent out those call forwarding, the call forwarding went to the fraudsters, and they confirmed that.”
Shaun Robinson’s Sharp Senses Helped Her Avoid a Scam
Image via TLC
Shaun Robinson almost fell for the same scam that has been going on for a lot in the past year. On a TikTok that was posted a few months ago, Robinson told about a phone call she received from Chase Banking Services. Even though her first reaction was that it was fraudulent, she still proceeded to take the call. The caller said they had detected some possible fraudulent activity on her chase card. He asked, “Did you approve these charges? And he listed a list of charges”. The caller named a few charges and their amount from Rite Aid and Goodyear among others. “I said I didn’t approve of them, and he said we are going to mail you a new card to your mailing address and that they will look for other fraudulent charges. Then he said: I need to confirm one more thing. What is the total balance of your account?”
Robinson, who started to doubt the validity of the caller, just said a number that popped into her head and the man confirmed. “When I hung up, I checked the number, and it was the same number that was found online for Chase.” Apparently, many scammers are able to manipulate the name or numbers of the real bank. But Robinson is not easily scammed. She proceeded to go to her bank and talked to someone there who assured her there was no fraud on her account, and it was all in good standing. But the fraudster didn’t want to give up. The next day, he called again. “I didn’t answer, and he didn’t leave a message, but then the following day, I got the phone call again. This time it was Robert who said: “We detected fraud in your online banking; we want to check the charges.”
Just like before, the man started listing a few charges that supposedly were made by her. There was $526 from Goodyear Tire, and a $750 charge from CVS. Robinson said she had never made those charges. At that point, the man said: “OK. I need to get my supervisor, and we are going to send you a code to your phone but do not say the code out loud, he stressed that three times.” Robert asked her to just reply to the text. This is, by the way, a common way to allow fraudsters access to your account. When the code finally came, Robinson declined to text back. She already sensed she was being scammed. Instead, saying: Robert, are your parents proud of the fact that you grew up to be someone who scams people out of their money? Stop calling me and get a real job.”
Unfortunately, many individuals are not fortunate enough and easily fall victim to scams. Banks across the United States are cautioning individuals against disclosing codes and sensitive information over the phone to callers claiming to represent the bank. If you receive a phone call alerting you to fraudulent activities, it is advisable to promptly end the call and independently contact the bank using a trusted number. Alternatively, you can visit the bank branch and speak directly with a banker. These scams are orchestrated by skilled professionals who manipulate the trust of unsuspecting individuals, leading them to unwittingly grant access to their life savings. While Cohen will manage to get over the scam, countless others may face years of recovery to recoup their financial losses.
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