JPMorgan Chase says it’s not responsible after an Ohio woman deposited $6,000 directly into a scammer’s Chase bank account.
The scammer initially called the victim and pretended to be with Huntington Bank, convincing her that a fraudulent transaction would execute if she didn’t withdraw the cash from her account, reports the CBS-affiliated Cleveland 19 News, citing a police report.
After she obtained the cash, the scammer gave her a Chase debit card number, instructing her to add the card to her Apple Wallet.
The thief then convinced her to go to a Chase ATM, tap the Chase debit card on her Apple Wallet, and deposit the $6,000 into the scammer’s Chase account.
Once the transaction was complete, the woman says she went home and realized she’d been scammed while talking with the criminal on Facetime.
“She said he told her they needed to do a full body scan to verify her identity due to a failed transaction.
The woman told police she undressed and spun in circles on Facetime. When she heard the scammer laughing that’s when she realized it was all a hoax.”
The victim reported the fraud to the bank and filed a police report. Although the scammer banked with Chase, the lender says she is responsible for losing the money.
Banks use a combination of automated identity checks, human oversight and collaboration with law enforcement and one another to detect fraudulent accounts, and their methods are currently being investigated by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
The regulator is reportedly investigating whether JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and other large unnamed banks are doing enough to vet their customers and terminate scam accounts as part of a broader inquiry on Zelle scams.
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