A NURSE was left horrified as she lost $3,000 after receiving a call she thought came from the cops.
Samantha Norman, of Alaska, said she was suddenly disconnected once she wired the funds.
But it emerged that the mom was the victim of an imposter scam.
Norman said she received a call on June 6 from someone claiming to be from the Palmer Police Department, per Alaska Public Media.
She was reportedly told she was meant to complete jury duty after signing for some mail.
The caller allegedly threatened Norman that she was facing charges as she had missed the date.
She was warned that cops would swoop on her home if she ended the call.
Norman said the man claimed he was from the police force, telling her his name and relaying his ID number.
The so-called officer told her she had to fork out $3,000.
He claimed she wouldn’t have to spend any time in jail if she coughed up the money.
The man said the money had to be deposited via a Coinstar machine in a store, rather than a police station.
Norman said the caller told her she would be reimbursed in less than a week.
‘Do not answer it’ iPhone and Android owners told over common signs you’re being hit with bank-emptying phone call scam
But the line went dead after she moved the money.
“Once I deposited the money, we got disconnected,” she said.
Thousands of dollars disappeared from Norman’s account and she scrambled to get the money back.
She rushed to file reports to the cops and the FBI.
What is a jury duty scam?
Scammers can target unsuspecting bank customers in a variety of ways. One such method is by claiming they signed up for jury duty and have missed the date they were due to complete the service.
Fraudsters call the victim and threaten them with fines or potentially jail time.
The caller claims jail time can be avoided if the bank customer sends over some money.
They try to make the call look legitimate by spoofing the number to make it seem like it’s coming from a police officer or a court.
Scammers try to lure the person into sharing confidential information.
It is a criminal offense to impersonate a federal court official.
Court officials will never ask potential jurors to share confidential information.
Usually, courts send information to jurors in the post.
She called the police force and a staffer told her no arrest warrant had been issued.
Bank representatives reportedly told her they couldn’t get the money back.
But a fundraiser was created and members of the community chipped in to raise the amount Norman had lost.
Police departments from across the country have warned about the risks of imposter scams.
Fraudsters can spoof caller IDs to make them look legitimate.
Americans should be suspicious if they receive a call from someone purporting to be an official asking for a payment.
Sometimes, the caller will threaten the victim that they will be arrested.
Imposter scams are not only the type of fraud bank users should be aware of.
Bank customers should never send money to claim any so-called prizes.
They should also be wary of suspicious links as clicking on them can lead to malware being installed on devices.
Fraudsters can also use artificial intelligence to clone the voices of distressed family members.
And scammers can also panic their victims into sending money via cryptocurrency.
The U.S. Sun has approached the Palmer Police Department for comment.
Bank tips for avoiding scams
As scams become more sophisticated with the use of artificial intelligence, it is important you know how to spot a scam:
- Be skeptical of online deals that seem too good to be true, especially on social media.
- Scammers will often use tactics to make you panicked so you make quick decisions – be cautious if you are told to take immediate action and verify who has contacted you.
- Chase Bank warns customers to “never return any unexpected funds without calling Chase first.”
- Never send money to someone you have only spoken to online or by phone as this is likely a romance scam.
- Unless you 100% know who you are talking to, never give someone remote access to your device.
- Never accept help from strangers at an ATM and always be vigilant when making withdrawals.
- Do not send money or click any links indicating that you have won a prize.