Couple lose life savings to caller posing as an FBI agent who sent a courier

What happened

According to CP24, which carried a report from CNN Newsource and local station WBBM, an elderly couple in Burbank, Illinois, say they lost their life savings to a caller who claimed to be an FBI agent investigating suspicious activity at their bank.

The wife said the man seemed to know how much money they held in their accounts, and he sent an official-looking email. He asked for her help and told her to withdraw $18,400 in cash, which she said was nearly everything they had. He stayed on the phone with her throughout, guiding her as she went into the bank branch.

She was then told to read out some of the serial numbers on the notes. The caller said some of the bills were counterfeit and that she must drive to a second branch. There, a man in a black SUV took the money. She had been told someone from the bank would come out with "genuine cash", but nobody did.

She said the bank told her it could not help. The bank told reporters it is working with her as she co-operates with law enforcement. An FBI spokesperson said it cannot comment on pending investigations but that impersonation scams of this kind are on the rise.

Warning signs

• A caller who says he is from the FBI or a bank investigator and asks for your help with an inquiry.
• The caller already knows details about your accounts, which can make the call feel genuine.
• An official-looking email sent during the call.
• Being told to withdraw a large amount of cash.
• Being kept on the phone the whole time, so you have no chance to think or speak to anyone.
• Being told the cash is counterfeit and must be handed to a courier or another person.

What families can do

• Hang up on any call that asks you to move or hand over money, then ring your bank or the agency on a number you have looked up yourself.
• The FBI advises being wary of giving money or personal information to someone you did not contact first.
• Agree a family rule: nobody withdraws a large sum because of a phone call until they have spoken to a relative.
• Remember that knowing your details is not proof of identity. Careful people are caught by these calls too.
• If money has gone, contact your bank and the police straight away.

For an older relative, it can help to decide in advance who is allowed to ring them. QuietGuard, an Android app, can keep calls from anyone outside a trusted list quiet and show them in Activity, so there is time to talk things over. It does not stop a determined caller using a number the person already trusts, and it is no substitute for talking to family or contacting the bank or police.