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(Omaha, NE) -- An Omaha family is warning others about a costly Cash App scam.
Carrie Peters received a phone call from her bank's number, Wells Fargo, warning of an unauthorized purchase. The number had been cloned by a scammer.
A text from the number claimed Peters had sent a thousand dollars from the Zelle Cash App, and replied "STOP".
“It seems the trigger that provided these crooks with the access was her responding to the text message,” said Jim Hegarty, President and CEO, Better Business Bureau.
The reply triggered the scammers to pull more money from her account before she was able to close it.
“It takes away holiday spirit,” said Peters. “Because financially it takes away from you but also makes you feel vulnerable, and makes you feel stupid.”
Wells Fargo provided 6 News the following tips on how people can stay safe this holiday season:
- If a person believes that they have been a victim of a scam, we encourage them to report the scam promptly and provide as much information as possible. Although it may not always be possible to recover the funds on behalf of victims, Wells Fargo works together with other financial institutions and law enforcement to help identify suspects and recover funds when possible
- We never want to see anyone become a victim of fraud, and it is heartbreaking when people are scammed of their hard-earned savings.
- One common scenario to look out for is a financial imposter. Scammers can spoof their caller ID number and use bits of your personal information to convince you to reveal your access code and steal your money. To avoid this situation, never share your temporary access codes or PIN with anyone who calls you unexpectedly. Your bank or the government will never ask you for this information.
- Avoid sending money or giving your account information to anyone you don’t know or a company you can’t verify as a legitimate.
- If you are uncomfortable with a request received by phone call or text that you didn’t initiate, don’t respond and hang up immediately. Contact the company using legitimate sources such as a phone number on their website.