Woman scammed out of $63K by federal agent imposter
By Stephanie Sierra and Renee Koury
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OAKLAND, California (KGO) — Authorities in Washington arrested a man for allegedly impersonating a federal agent to steal thousands of dollars from elderly victims.
But the scam is still spreading. The latest victim: an elderly Bay Area woman who was tricked into mailing $63,000 to the thieves. But 7 On Your Side got her money back.
What began as a beautiful fall morning turned into one of the worst days ever for Judith Rosenberg of Oakland.
“I was devastated, I couldn’t believe it, ” Rosenberg said. “I was so shaken by this I couldn’t even talk.”
It began with a text, claiming someone stole her Apple ID.
“‘You have to call this number and someone will help you…’ So that was when this officer David Freeman… he picked up the phone,” Rosenberg said.
The man said he was a federal inspector general. He texted a photo, saying it was his badge and ID. And he said Judith was in big trouble.
“Criminals had taken out nine different accounts using my name and my Social Security number,” Rosenberg said.
“They had set up all sorts of drug cartels… throughout the country and perhaps abroad… ‘Have you noticed anybody trying to follow you?’ And so he’s already really got me really scared,” she said.
The man said Rosenberg had to quickly move her money into a protected account.
“I want you to go to the bank and keep your phone on in your purse so I could hear the conversation,” Rosenberg said she was told.
The man swore her to secrecy as she drove to bank of America in Oakland and requested a cashier’s check for $63,000.
“The teller asked me, ‘Is anybody forcing you to do this?’ and I didn’t quite know how to handle that, so I sort of nodded, no,” Rosenberg said.
Rosenberg was supposed to deposit the check at Citibank in Hayward. But tellers there got suspicious and turned her away.
The man on the phone got angry.
“‘You didn’t sound convincing enough and you said the wrong thing…'” Rosenberg said he said.
He told Judith to mail the check instead to an address in San Lorenzo.
“I sent it off overnight. They charged me $31,” she said.
Rosenberg told a friend what happened. Then the shock.
“She said, ‘Judy this is a scam,'” Rosenberg said.
Turns out that same badge and ID photo has been used in many imposter scams across the country. Law enforcement has tried to send alerts about it to the public.
“I said oh my goodness what have I done?” Rosenberg said.
Rosenberg called the B of A fraud department that very night. But they could not stop a cashier’s check.
She rushed to the bank the next morning.
“I said I’ve been a victim of fraud, of a scam. And you have to cancel that check,” she said.
The tellers said it wasn’t so easy. A manager had to approve it.
“And they couldn’t get a hold of her for three hours because she was at a meeting…” Rosenberg said.
The manager eventually refused to stop the check.
“And so I was devastated…” Rosenberg said.
But the bank said she could declare the check as stolen. That could stop the payment.
It was a race against time. Two days had passed. The check was still uncashed.
Quickly, Rosenberg filled out the necessary forms, and kept her fingers crossed.
But it was too late.
“Friday morning they called me to say, ‘Oh we’re so sorry but they just cashed the check,'” Rosenberg said. “And I’m… I’m just so furious.”
So 7 On Your Side contacted Bank of America, asking why the bank didn’t act faster to stop the thieves from cashing that check.
Bank of America looked into the case. And soon after, Rosenberg got a call.
“I am… stunned!” she said.
Bank of America restored all $63,000 into Rosenberg’s bank account, telling 7 On Your Side: “We reviewed the circumstances of this situation and will fully reimburse our client in this matter.”
“I am very grateful to you and your team on 7 On Your Side… so thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Rosenberg said.
The bank is urging customers to review the alerts on its website to recognize the most common signs you are being scammed.
For example, as in this case, no one from the government would ever ask you to move money from your account and put it somewhere else.
And remember, sending a cashier’s check is just like sending cash. You can’t stop payment like a regular check.
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