Local woman speaks out after money scam, losing nearly $10K
Luis Avila
BERMUDA DUNES, Calif. (KESQ) – What appeared to be a call from the bank, cost one local woman ten-thousand dollars.
Kayla Keith says it all started with a text message, followed by a call from someone who claimed to be a Wells Fargo representative. But the caller knew detailed account information.
“All that information made me think that this was an honest Wells Fargo representative who was contacting me to help me not to hurt me.”
Kayla Keith, Bermuda Dunes resident
The caller claimed she had a fraudulent charge of $9,500 and wanted to give her provisional credit to reverse it. Instead, the person ended up taking that amount out of her account. Once Kayla found out, she reached out to her bank for help but was denied.
Attorney Walter Clark says cases like this can be tricky to resolve.
According to consumer protection laws, banks are generally required to refund unauthorized transactions. But there are possible exceptions, including if someone willingly authorized the transaction, even if they were tricked.
Clark says the likelihood of being tricked by scammers is not only increasing, but becoming easier.
“It’s especially concerning because we have seen today a court decision that blocks the president’s efforts at closing down the consumer financial protection bureau. That’s what protects consumers from this kind of thing. They in turn work with the FBI… With AI and the advances in computers, the thieves will have better more effective tools at their disposal.”
Walter Clark, attorney
He says more protections are needed for consumers. As for Kayla, she’s urging everyone to be more cautious.
Stay with News Channel 3 for more.