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Scams and Scalawags
Don't answer the "bank examiner" call to help | |
| By Leonard J. Hansen | |
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"This is Mr. Jones. I’m an examiner at your bank and we need your help to catch an internal thief." With that type of line you are being set up for one of one of the oldest, most devastating and most effective frauds in history. The caller claims there is a staff member who has been taking money from accounts and covering it up with other transfers. Here’s the pitch: the bank wants you to withdraw some money, perhaps $2,000 to $4,000 in cash, so they can track the transaction. If you agree and withdraw the money, the "bank’s agent" comes to your door to receive and hold the cash as evidence. It is the last you’ll see of the money, the alleged agent or even the bank’s cooperation for any type of recovery. The concept is improbable, but it has worked for years by teams of carpetbaggers who travel actively; and is being perpetrated somewhere in the United States this very day. Know that the "bank examiner" does not work for the bank; the bank is not involved; and banks do not ask for customer assistance such as in this scheme. Here’s an important alert to you: banks have ordered their tellers not to question or deny large-sum withdrawals by mature adults even if they believe the customer may be a victim of fraud. Banks justify non-involvement claiming potential liability. The one state of exception is Oregon, where the state legislature has provided immunity from liability for banks which act protectively for the customer when they suspect fraud victimization. Similar legislation has been introduced in other states; but banking associations have lobbied failure for the proposals as they don’t want to be involved, even for the protection of their customers. If you receive a "bank examiner" call, know that it is not probably, but predictably, an attempt at fraud. You don’t have to be a hero or heroine in order to collect evidence for the authorities. For your own protection, say no and hang up. Then notify the local police to advise of the call. It may be their first alert that bank examiner scalawags are working the territory. If you become a sucker to the bank examiner scheme, also know that the probability of nabbing the actively-traveling scammers is near to nil, and that recovery of your money is just about impossible. There is no question. The bank examiner call will be a one-way invitation to a fraud. Don’t even listen or consider the caller or pitch. |
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