SARASOTA, Fla. – Sarasota police want to warn residents about a scam involving a bank and rideshare drivers. Investigators say someone withdraws a large amount of cash from a bank, then hands it over to a rideshare driver at the recommendation of the scammer.
What we know:
Sarasota police told FOX 13 that they are investigating two cases there, with similar cases under investigation in Venice and other parts of Sarasota County.
Police explain in one of the cases, a 73-year-old woman told them she received a text message asking whether she used her credit card for a specific purchase. Then, she got another asking if she had just taken out $10,000.
She spent two hours on the phone with a woman who was posing as a bank fraud investigator who told her that her identity was stolen, and claimed someone inside the bank was involved.
That person on the other line told her to go to the bank, get new debit and credit cards, then withdraw $18,000. That’s when the scammer directed the victim to place the money and new cards into a shopping bag and give them to a representative who would meet her at the bank.
Instead, the scammer arranged for a ridesharing courier to pick up the package and take it to Miami.
She ultimately handed the money over, and when she did that, the scammer told the woman she needed to insure her jewelry and safe deposit box, warning her that armed individuals could come to her home.
Scam Stopped:
The bank grew wary when the woman took out the eighteen-thousand dollars and asked her about it. She ultimately told them it was for the holidays, travel, and home repairs.
After the scammer told the woman she needed to insure her jewelry, they contacted their current bank, which told her to hang up.
Ultimately, police were able to track down the rideshare driver, who was not involved, and they were able to return the cards and money to the victim.
Protect Yourself:
The Sarasota Police Department recommends you remember these points:
- Banks and government agencies won’t ask you to withdraw cash and hand it to a courier.
- Don’t trust caller ID, texts, or links claiming to be from a bank.
- If you don’t know, hang up and call your bank directly, but just make sure you use a verified number.
- Make sure you report a scam.
The Source: FOX 13 gathered this information from a press release from the Sarasota Police Department.
