Timonium, Maryland — Hyeon-Jin Kwon, a small business owner, is slowly recovering after falling victim to a bank imposter scam that cost her over $50,000.
This complex fraud scheme began last September when a thief entered her office while she was with a client. The man grabbed a couple of credit and debit cards from her wallet and quickly ran up around $2,300 in charges at stores like Walgreens and Walmart.
Kwon’s credit card companies flagged the transactions as suspicious, and she initially got her money back. But just two days later, she received a call from someone claiming to be with Bank of America. They seemed to know all her information and said they needed her permission to stop a wire transfer.
“I clicked a link they sent and entered my information,” Kwon explained. “That’s how they accessed my bank account and drained almost all of my checking account.”
In total, about $56,000 was taken from Kwon’s account, with the thief withdrawing $13,000 from ATMs and bank tellers before the bank froze the account.
“I was fortunate to recover the frozen funds in the Chase account,” Kwon said. However, she still faced challenges. Although she received some money back by December, Bank of America denied her claims for the $13,500 taken from the ATM in Florida multiple times. She could file an insurance claim for $10,000, but the remaining $3,500 might be a loss for her.
After local news coverage of her story, Kwon received a call from the Baltimore County Police. She had gathered a detailed file of evidence, including bank statements and video footage of the suspect.
“They found the thief, who had been arrested in Fairfax County, Virginia, for similar crimes,” Kwon said. According to police reports, the suspect had a history of stealing credit cards from offices and using them at various retailers.
In response to this experience, Kwon has now taken extra security measures at her office. “All my valuables are locked up. I installed a Ring camera to monitor visitors and always keep my doors locked,” she shared.
Kwon urges others to be cautious and to verify any calls claiming to be from their bank. “If anyone feels pressured during a conversation, that’s a huge warning sign. Just hang up and call the bank directly,” she advised.
Another key tip is not to trust caller ID. Kwon’s phone displayed Bank of America when she answered the scam call. Always take the extra step to confirm who you’re talking to, especially in suspicious situations.
For more information on how to protect yourself from scams, you can visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website and learn how to report fraud to your bank or the authorities.
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