Winning Means Free: Don’t Spend Money to Get Money

Fraud doesn’t just happen to other people. Unfortunately, our customers are victims, too.

Take, for example, a customer who learned he’d just won the lottery! He was notified by letter and told he needed to pay $5,800 in taxes before the money could be released. He was asked to send cash via FedEx.

Shortly after sending the first payment, he received another letter saying he owed $5,000 more.

About the same time, INB’s operations team flagged the first transaction as “unusual.”  They promptly touched base with the branch manager whose staff typically helps the customer.  Her reply?  The same customer had just been in and made another $5,000 withdrawal.

Our manager called the customer who was, at that moment, in line at the FedEx facility. Our manager explained he was the victim of a scam and to “please don’t send that money.”

Our customer later admitted the transaction sounded funny, “but the money would have been nice.”

We agree, it would have been fun to win the lottery. But remember, when you win, you won’t be asked to send a cash payment.

Here’s Another Story

You could call this “Karma” or “It doesn’t pay to scam scammers.”

A local woman was sending cash in the mail by putting it inside of a book, taping up the book, and shipping it. (Yes, she was following a scamster’s directions. He’d warned her “not to trust anyone from the bank.) When she got to the mailing facility, the customer service rep processed her shipment . . . but only after taking the cash out of the book.

The rep claimed the woman was being scammed, but he didn’t think it unscrupulous to take the victim’s money himself.  The FBI was aware of the scam and had plans to intercept the package themselves.  When they did, they discovered the book was empty.