With the introduction of the internet has come a new wave of sophisticated scams. The scammers are using robocalls in hopes of stealing money from unsuspecting people.
That was the case of Rosa Flores who got a call one day last month from a person who told her that he was with law enforcement. The person told Rosa that someone was about to steal her life savings and if she didn’t act fast then her assets would be frozen.
“I believed him 100 percent,” Flores told NBC 7 Responds. “I didn’t hesitate. I was not aware that these phone calls were happening.”
Flores said she got in her car and headed to the nearest Cal Coast Credit Union to move her money from her account to the account that the supposed law-enforcement officer had set up for her.
“It came to the point where I thought I didn’t have another choice. There was nothing else to do but believe him and what they said.”
But when Flores arrived at the bank she began to have second thoughts.
Still on the phone with the man, Flores asked if he would be willing to speak to the credit union teller.
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The man refused.
“He told me I would get arrested,” said Flores.
That was when she became convinced it was a scam.
She told the teller and the teller advised her against making any withdrawals.
The teller’s manager, Patricia Campos, says she and her employees undergo training on new scams in order to prevent the credit union’s members from getting scammed.
“Sometimes we will ask additional questions and try and tell our members that we are looking out for their best interest,” said Campos.”
And while the banks and credit unions are doing their best to prevent customers from getting duped, they say the real responsibility comes down to the customer.
“Consult, consult, consult,” says Campos. “Consult someone at the police department, or just talk to somebody about what they are asking you for and see if it makes sense.”
Luckily for Flores, she had time to think before she acted.
“There are really bad people out there that take advantage of people that are not educated on this,” said Flores.
