Police foil developing bank scam as it unfolds

Deploying the resources of the Sarasota Police Department’s Real Time Operations Center, a 73-year-old Sarasota woman caught in an emerging scam involving ride-sharing apps and large cash withdrawals had her losses recovered.

Hers was one of two cases reported this week in the city that are under investigation with similar incidents also being investigated by the Venice Police Department and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, according to a news release from the SPD.

On Tuesday, Dec. 16, SPD was notified of a grand theft in which a woman told officers she received a text message asking whether she had used her credit card for a specific purchase. She later received another message asking if she had just withdrawn nearly $10,000 from her bank account.

The victim then spent approximately two hours on the phone with a woman posing as a bank-fraud investigator. The scammer told the victim her identity had been stolen and claimed someone inside her bank may have been involved. She was then instructed to go to a bank branch, obtain new debit and credit cards, and withdraw $18,500, claiming the money would later be reimbursed through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Bank employees questioned the large withdrawal, but the victim said the money was for the holidays, travel and home repairs. The scammer then directed the victim to place the cash and new cards into a shopping bag and give them to an “FDIC representative” who would meet her at the bank.

Instead, the scammer arranged for a ride share courier to pick up the package and transport it to Miami. When the driver arrived, the victim placed the bag in the back seat of the vehicle.

The scammer later asked the victim about the contents of her safe deposit box and her jewelry, suggesting she insure the items and warned that armed individuals could come to her home. The victim and her husband eventually contacted their bank, which advised them to end the call, confirming it was a scam.

Using information provided by the victim, the SPD’s Real Time Operations Center located the ride share driver. Officers determined the driver was unaware of the crime and recovered the cash and cards, which were returned to law enforcement and ultimately back to the victim.