The story of a scam

How can you protect yourself?

CUSTER COUNTY - I’m going to tell you a story, a story of scheming and theft that began with a simple message on a computer. Sometime in May, a warning popped up on a person’s computer - let’s call that person Ms. A. The warning stated the computer had been hacked and a phone number was displayed to call MicroSoft for help.

Ms. A called. She was told not only was her computer hacked, her bank account was also hacked and there were unauthorized charges. The scammer said Ms. A would receive a phone call from her bank and that Ms. A could identify the number by checking her bank’s website. Sure enough, in a few minutes, a call came in from that number.

Ms. A was advised to take money out of her account and purchase gift cards to protect the money. Initially cryptocurrency cards were requested but they weren’t available so Ms. A bought Apple cards. She was asked to provide the numbers on the gift cards. She was also convinced to allow the individual access to her computer; the resulting scan lasted more than seven hours.

Ms. A was asked to electronically transfer money out of her account and the person on the other end of the line established trust by transferring the money back into the account.

The person on the phone - let’s call him Mr. G - told Ms. A not to contact her bank because unauthorized attempts to use the account were happening locally. Mr. G convinced Ms. A not to tell anyone - family, friends or her bank - what was happening because of the on-going investigation.

If you think this is just a story, think again. It’s very real and it happened to a Custer County resident who lost a substantial amount of money. Ms. A told her story to the Chief with the goal of helping others avoid the same fate. We here at the Chief posted scam warnings on our website with a promise to share the story in the June 16 issue.

Ms. A was more than willing to publish her real name, however, after subsequent conversations with Ms. A and her bank, we have elected to not identify Ms. A or her bank for privacy and security reasons.

At different times, the scammer(s) claimed, through phone calls and emails, to be a representative of a local bank, a state banking organization and the FBI. The scammer convinced Ms. A to open an out-of-state account and wire money to it. And before the scam was over, the scammer convinced her to lie to her local bank and say she needed to withdraw lots of money to make a purchase for a grandchild.

Ms. A said she had a gut feeling from the beginning that something was wrong however, the scammers were very convincing.

“They created so much doubt,” she said. “There was a day when I said to myself, ‘This is not real. This is a scam.’ I went to the bank. I got out of my car and stood on the sidewalk. I was shaking so badly. But I didn’t go in.”

It was only when Ms. A went into the bank in person and talked face-to-face with her local bankers that it ended. She said, “The banking officers finally convinced me this was a scam.”

The money on the gift cards and the money transferred to other accounts is gone. Ms. A accepts that. However, if she can help others by telling her story, she said that will be a good thing.

Her advice is simple and direct. “No matter how legit someone sounds, trust your gut,” she said. And more importantly, she added, “Trust your bank.”

Nebraska Attorney General Outreach Coordinator Ryan Sothan said in situations like this, it’s extremely difficult to find the money or the scammers. “So we have to focus on prevention,” he explained.

Sothan said Ms. A’s situation is a combination of many schemes. He, along with former Nebraska Bankers Association president and current state senator Matt Williams, said this was the first time, though, they had heard of a scam working to undermine the trust in a local financial institution.

Scammers are experts when it comes to convincing people. They may present a sad story of needing help or selling something fast because they are moving, or they may be part of a more intricate scheme like the one Ms. A found herself in. “They talk very fast and with gravitas. They are very convincing,” Sothan said.

Older individuals who live alone or who may not be computer savvy are often targets. “We, as Nebraskans, tend to be trusting and to be compliant,” Sothan said. “The scammers use urgency and establish a level of authority.”

There are things you can do, however, to reduce your risk of falling victim to a scam on your computer.

• Keep a clean machine. Keep your copmuter’s operating system and anti-virus/malware up to date. “There are settings in the control panel,” Sothan said. “Pick a time of day, usually at night, for updates.”

• Use a fire wall. For Window machines, the firewall needs to be turned on,” Sothan said. “This is the device’s way of closing vulnerable ports.”

• If a message pops up telling you your computer has been compromised, do not contact anyone via the contact information in the pop-up window. “Shutting the computer off for 30 seconds and letting it rest usually will clear it,” Sothan said. “If it doesn’t, the virus is in the start-up menu.” If the message comes back, contact a trusted technician.

• Don’t give control of your computer to anyone except a trusted and known technician. When strangers are granted access, they can get to anything and everything on your hard drive. “The sheer technology of a computer can have someone vulnerable and feeling helpless,” Sothan said. “Work with a local and trusted technician.

• Do not share personal information with someone you do not know over the phone or through the computer. Scammers are experts at taking a little information and using it as part of a larger scheme.

• Use strong passwords, that is, combinations of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. Avoid simple passwords such as significant dates, pet names or information that is easy to guess or find out.

Sen. Matt Wiliams said, “Fraud and various types of scams are happening on a regular basis. As your Senator and as a lifelong banker, the best advice is to not give anyone your personal information and always talk to and trust your local bank. Your local bank will help you determine if you are being scammed and will always work to protect your money and your personal information.”

Sothan offers the same advice - trust your gut and trust your local financial institution. “Listen to your gut,” Sothan said. ”If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. If it’s too bad to believe, don’t believe it.”

If you have any concerns about the security of your financial accounts, contact your local financial institution immediately. You don’t have to and should not try to handle a potential scam on your own. The people who know you and personally take care of your money can help protect you, your information and your money.