Retiree averts scam to raid bank account

A caller claimed Marian White's name and bank information were on a public Web site.

By Linda Redeffer ~ Southeast Missourian

The woman who called Marian White Saturday sounded professional and polite. But there were a few things about the phone call that didn't seem quite right to the Cape Girardeau woman.

If White hadn't taken those misgivings seriously, her bank account might have been cleaned out.

A woman who identified herself as Sarah Robbins called White shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday and said she was with a company called United Consumer Benefits Group. Saying White's name was among 5,000 whose bank information was on a public Web site, the woman offered to help White remove her name from the site and protect her privacy. That was White's first hunch that something was wrong.

"I thought it was strange she was calling about bank business after the bank was closed," White said.

The caller told White all she needed to do was get a pencil, paper and her checkbook.

"She said she needed the checkbook to verify my account number," White said.

She said the caller was fairly insistent about that, asking for the account number several times. That sent up another red flag. The caller said she knew which bank White used but told her she couldn't divulge that information. White, a retired bookkeeper familiar with privacy regulations, wasn't buying this story.

Lisa Clark, who works for media relations at US Bank in Madison, Wis., said banks would never ask for a customer's account number or any personal information over the phone.

"That's why we have PIN numbers," Clark said. "No one will ever ask for personal information over the phone or by e-mail. A bank would ask that you come in to the bank and get assistance."

Had White not been so alert, the caller could have used the information to access her account, used her identity and bank information to take out a loan or apply for a credit card, or made purchases.

White told the caller she was busy and suggested the woman call back Monday. White said she had not, and Clark said the caller most likely picked up on White's suspicions and will not call back. She suggests that anyone who gets such a call ask for a name and number.

"They'll quickly get off the phone," Clark said.

White called her bank and was instructed to call the Justice Department, the local police, a credit-reporting agency her bank uses and the Federal Trade Commission. She was also advised to tell as many people she could, so Sunday morning she got up in church and warned others in her congregation. Monday she called the media.

Such scamming is fairly common, said Cape Girardeau police spokesman Jason Selzer. Selzer too advises people not to give any kind of personal information over the phone. He said police might be able to trace a call if they know where the call came from. White said she has Caller ID on her phone, but the information was blocked.

Selzer added that if a call is legitimate, the caller will give a call-back number and won't push for an immediate response.

Clark and Selzer agree it's easy for scammers to get people's phone numbers and even pinpoint the age demographic they belong to, often targeting the elderly. Often they just troll the phone book. Some businesses legitimately sell that information. Often scammers go through people's trash looking for credit card receipts.

White said she worries about people who might be caught off guard and realizes that if she hadn't been paying attention, she too might have been scammed.

"You just don't know anymore," White said. "Some people are just plumb ornery."

lredeffer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160