So you think you’re too smart to get taken by a con artist? Think again, because con artists take very smart people just as easily and often as anyone else. Cons and frauds come in every size, shape and color imaginable. But there are several basic “tried and true” cons, which are still being perpetrated that everyone should be aware of. Here’s one of them:
THE BANK EXAMINER –
Someone calls and identifies himself as a bank official. If the caller doesn’t know where your bank is he will name one and wait for you to correct him. He will then tell you that there is some problem and that another bank official will be calling you shortly. When that other “official” does call he informs you that one of their tellers is believed to be embezzling from the bank and they’d like your help in gathering proof. You are then asked to go to the bank, withdraw a certain amount of money, and meet someone – either back at your home or in the bank’s parking lot. The person you meet may show you authentic looking identification from a federal agency or from the bank itself. You’re asked to turn your money over to him.
He assures you he’ll keep the money just long enough to record the serial numbers and treat the bills with a unique detection chemical that will help identify it later. You are assured that the money will be returned to you by a specific time so you can redeposit it. Of course, the money is not returned and you never see those people again.
No bank official would ever call you to ask for your bank balance or any other information about your account. If they are from the bank they already have access to that information so there’s never a need to confirm it with you. Furthermore, “stings” on embezzlers are undertaken by professional undercover officers; they do not get citizens involved. If you ever find yourself being asked for account information or someone tries to involve you in taking an action such as the one talked about here ask for the phone number and name of the person calling, then contact your bank immediately and give them as much information about the incident as you can.
No matter how smooth or unusual a con is, there will always be something about it that won’t feel right to you. Trust your instincts; if things seem a little “off,” – even if you can’t say why – avoid it and report it.
Laura Quarantiello is the author of “Cyber Crime How to Protect
Yourself From Computer Criminals” More information at
http://www.tiare.com/cyber.htm
