Victim Location 97016
Total money lost $500
Type of a scam Identity Theft
On 8/5/2019 I received an incoming call on my personal cell phone, a male stated his name and advised he was calling from my bank, I checked the phone number that showed on caller ID and confirmed it matched public records but was still a little wary knowing numbers can be spoofed. He was calm and polite and advised the call was made because they received an alert that my debit card had been used in an attempt to make a purchase for $202 and change at a Walmart in Florida. I advised that it wasn’t me as I was still in my home state (OR). He assured me not to worry the transaction was declined because it had been flagged as unusual and that my card would be deactivated and a replacement would be sent. He then advised before a new card could be sent he needed to verify a few things, my home address and then advised "I’m going to send you a text with a verification code that you’ll need to read back to me in order to verify your identity, ok?" I foolishly provided both not realizing I was not actually speaking to my bank. I asked if he noticed any other unusual transactions and he said no, everything else looks ok they just got your debit card info somehow. Then I asked if he could see how my card had been compromised and he said he personally did not know, but that it can happen a few different ways and advised to be careful where I use my card at places like Walmart and Publix. He then advised I was all set and my card would be sent out in 7-10 business days, or if I needed it right away it could be rushed for an additional fee of $25.00. I said I was not in a hurry and then he said ok and the call was politely ended. I was upset about the situation so I went online to check my accounts, as soon as I viewed my checking account several things happened all at once, I spotted a transaction I did not do, a $500 outgoing transfer with a description of "P2P $500", then 2 back to back email notification sounds. Review of my email showed the two newly received emails were from my credit union, the first stated my Zelle account had successfully been setup and the second was a confirmation that the $500 transfer to Jonathon Joseph was completed successfully. I did not setup the Zelle account and don’t know anyone by that name. I immediately contacted my credit union to advise of fraud and to freeze everything. I’m still not sure how my bank account number, which is strictly used for paying bills online and has 0 cards linked to it, became compromised. I always try to be mindful of the machines I swipe my card through but I am also aware that not all skimmer type devices are detectable to the naked eye. I was also reminded that there are devices that can steal card info if its in close enough proximity. I rarely use the banking app on my phone (maybe used 3-4 times in the last 6 months to do last minute fund transfers) otherwise most of my banking is done from my home computer, which is (per a full 360 Norton LifeLock scan) free from viruses/malware.