Locals be warned: The Santa Maria Police Department has received word of another bank scam.
According to police reports, an elderly resident of the Santa Maria Valley recently got a phone call from a man claiming to be employed by the Bank of America security/fraud department.
The caller is said to have sounded like an older male with no discernable accent, and identified himself as “Mr. Myers.” He told the victim he was investigating fraudulent uses of her Bank of America bank card by an employee at her local branch.
He asked the victim to assist in the investigation by going to her local Bank of America and withdrawing $4,000. He then instructed her to take the money to one of his associates, whom he identified as “Richard,” at a predetermined meeting spot. The victim was assured that the money would be returned to her account.
When the victim arrived at her bank, however, a teller suspected something was wrong and alerted management, who in turn called the police.
“The Santa Maria Police Department would like to warn its citizens that this type of incident is a scam, aimed at taking money from elderly residents,” department officials said in a release to the media. “If anyone receives a phone call such as this, please report it to your local law enforcement agency.”
To report a suspicious phone call, or for more information, contact the police department at 928-3781 or call Crime Stoppers at 1-877-800-9100.
This article appears in Mar 4-11, 2010.