Texas Woman Loses $20,000 After Fake FBI, Bank Scam

(KNUE-FM) The amount of scamming that is taking place in Texas is beyond alarming, but we have to continue to share the information in hopes of shutting down this type of crime. It’s heartbreaking to hear about another Texan who lost her life savings after being scammed by someone impersonating FBI agents and banking officials.

The details came from KHOU, as the victim is from Houston, and she is out $20,000 after falling victim to this new scheme.

How the Fake Wells Fargo Text Hooked the Victim

Her name is Diane Fendley and the incident began with a fraud alert text message. It claimed to be the Wells Fargo Fraud Department and asked if she had recent charges at Walmart. She replied, “no.”

That is when Diane was told that there was an investigation going on with a bank branch she uses, as there has been fraud taking place there for the last three months. She was told to go to the bank and take care of her money.

READ MORE: FBI Warns Texas Gmail & Outlook Users of Ransomware Threats

How Scammers Are Impersonating Federal Agents

It was shortly after that when Diane got a call from someone claiming to be the FBI. The caller told her again that her Wells Fargo branch was under investigation for fraud. She was also sent a letter with official FBI letterhead.

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Why Moving Money Is a Major Red Flag

She was told to pull out $20,000. That was her life savings. Scammers were on the phone when she withdrew the money, then instructing her to cross the street to Chase Bank.

Next the instructions were to not enter the bank but go through the drive-through. The scammers opened a Chase account, added her digital wallet, and gave her a PIN to deposit the money through an ATM. And in seconds her entire life savings were gone.

Diane admits she felt sick after realizing what had just happened.

This is a reminder for everyone to never trust unsolicited texts or calls, even when they appear to come from banks or law enforcement.

If someone calls you claiming they are from your bank, hang up, and call the number on the back of your card to verify. And if the FBI is ever reaching out to you, you should contact their local field office to confirm it independently. You can file an Internet Crime Complaint with the FBI here.