Contact 13
Local falls victim to bank scam
Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) - When your phone rings, caller ID doesn't always verify who's on the other end. And one valley woman learned the hard way, not to be so trusting. Action News anchor Tricia Kean has more in a Contact 13 consumer alert.
"I feel like I've been a fool," says Dorothy Powell.
She isn't so proud of herself. This Las Vegas grandmother says she was simply trying to protect her finances. It all happened so fast, after her phone rang a couple weeks ago.
"This caller came on and he said this is Nevada State Bank customer fraud service," says Dorothy.
The caller said someone was trying to cash one of her checks for $369.
"And I said well they'll be lucky if they get it," says Dorothy.
She explained that she hadn't written any check for that amount. But the caller still had some questions, which included verifying some personal information.
"They knew the first 4 numbers on the check, the rest is your account number, and that's what he was looking for," says Dorothy.
Unfortunately, she filled in the blanks giving the caller her account number. It wasn't until she hung up, that she realized she had put her bank account in jeopardy.
"So that's when I said, oh no, I did a boo-boo," says Dorothy.
So she contacted Nevada State Bank, and they froze her account. But someone had already made a withdrawal. Dorothy says the bank is now investigating.
"They didn't guarantee that I would get my $369 back," says Dorothy.
So she emailed Action News, wanting to warn others. Contact 13 reached out to Nevada State Bank. They say no one with the bank will ever call a customer asking for their account number. Dorothy says the next time she answers the phone, she won't be so trusting.
"It's a shame that people have to be so rotten. I hope other people aren't as stupid as me," says Dorothy.
So here's the Contact 13 bottom line. It's unknown how the caller knew Dorothy's bank. But remember, scam artists are becoming more sophisticated, and it's not unusual for them to get their hands on partial information. When you can, look up the bank or company's phone number and call them yourself. That way you know for sure who you're speaking with.
And don't forget, we've got your back Las Vegas. If you think you've been the target of a scam, let us know and we'll see what we can do to help. Email us at 13investigates@ktnv.com. For Contact 13, I'm Tricia Kean.






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