BOISE, Idaho — A Boise bank is warning consumers after one of its clients was targeted by scammers, nearly costing him tens of thousands of dollars.
On Tuesday, a customer of Washington Federal Bank went into the branch on the corner of Cole and Ustick.
Heather Chambers, a division manager with Washington Federal, says the man was a longtime customer in his 70s. He asked employees to wire $24,000 to Thailand, triggering some red flags for the bank.
“Our wire room caught it and thought it was strange and insisted we dig deeper and ask additional questions,” Chambers said.
The customer claimed the money was for family members in Thailand. But according to Chambers, the client was well-known by bank employees so they were pretty sure that wasn't the truth.
The bank's fraud analytics system also flagged the wire request as extremely unusual for that particular client. So branch employees wanted to triple check before allowing the wire transfer.
“When the branch reached out to the client to ask additional questions, his story kind of changed, he was evasive," Chambers said. "He was being instructed and when they dug deeper, they found out it was a scam.”
So how did scammers convince the customer to wire the money to begin with?
“He clicked on something on his computer, probably spyware or something," Chambers said. "It instructed him to call a phone number which he called and it led to them taking control of his computer, getting into his online banking.”
By accessing the man's online banking information, scammers transferred $24,000 from his savings account to his checking account.
“Then they told him the only way they could fix it was to wire this $24,000 back to them so they could fix his account,” Chambers said.
Luckily, employees were able to catch the scam and the customer didn't lose a dime.
“We are so thankful, we’re celebrating," Chambers said. "It’s a huge win.”
However, not all scam stories have a happy ending.
According to the Better Business Bureau, wire transfers are a very popular method for scammers because they are the most effective.
“A wire transfer is untraceable and once that money is moved out of an account and into another account, you can’t really reverse it,” said Rebecca Barr, BBB communications manager.
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Barr said scams aimed at senior citizens are also very common because they are the most vulnerable.
"A lot of times there’s an emotional tie-in and they want to be the one to step in and help," she said.
“It could be a variety of different scenarios but they get a phone call, might sound like a family member – usually a grandson or granddaughter - they’re in trouble, often overseas and out of the country, traveling and they’re in some kind of legal situation," Barr continued. "Sometimes it’s even a medical situation so they’re in the hospital and they need money for medical bills.”
The BBB sees scammers ask for money in one of three popular ways: using wire transfers, gift cards, or Bitcoin, a type of digital currency.
Another common technique for scammers is to use Facebook messenger and duplicate an account, then ask friends for money.
Barr said if someone asks for money or personal information right away, that's a red flag for a possible scam. Also beware of the type of payment method asked for, particularly wire transfers. And, if the request for help or money comes out of the blue, Barr said that's a big red flag too.
Some tips from the BBB are to verify who you're dealing with and don't be afraid to ask questions if you're unsure.