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A Mebane woman recounts handing $17,500 to a stranger after a bank scam. She hopes her story prevents others from falling victim. The loss is devastating, especially as the money was for medical bills. #ScamAlert #Fraud #Crime #CyberSecurity #MoneyScam
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0:00
A doorbell camera capturing the moment
0:02
this Mebban woman says she handed over
0:04
her savings of $17,500
0:07
in cash to a complete stranger.
0:10
Every morning I wake up and I'm like, I
0:12
just want this nightmare to go away.
0:14
This woman who asked us not to name her
0:15
or show her face for fear of being a
0:18
target again, but says she wants to
0:19
share her heartache with hopes of
0:21
preventing the scam from happening to
0:23
someone else. It started when she was on
0:25
her computer trying to log on to her
0:27
bank account. I put in my password and
0:29
username and got to the website, but it
0:31
wouldn't let me open my accounts.
0:33
She grabbed her cell phone and says she
0:35
went to the number saved in her cell
0:36
phone for her bank.
0:38
She says, "Oh, your account's been
0:39
frozen." And I said, "Why?" And she
0:41
said, "Well, there was a suspicious
0:42
charge from PayPal from the day before."
0:45
And I said, "Well, I didn't make that."
0:47
She says she was transferred to what she
0:49
thought was a PayPal fraud department,
0:50
but the call quality was so bad that she
0:52
ended the call and called a Florida
0:54
number back. It's not clear how she got
0:56
that Florida number on the line with
0:58
them. She says she was told the charge
1:00
was for $82 and they said they could
1:03
refund her, but she had to follow their
1:05
instructions which included downloading
1:07
several things on her computer.
1:09
I typed $82 and I immediately looked up
1:12
to the screen and it says $18,000 and
1:15
then it goes accept accept accept just
1:17
like that. And I said to this man, I
1:20
said that's wrong. I said that's not
1:22
what I typed in. I I said, "That's a
1:24
mistake."
1:24
At first glance, she says it looked like
1:26
an extra $18,000 was deposited into her
1:29
account. In reality, what she didn't
1:32
know at the time, the scammer just
1:33
transferred the money from her savings
1:35
to checking.
1:36
What you have to do to fix it is you
1:38
have to get cash. Go to your bank and
1:41
get cash.
1:41
Hesitant to follow his instructions, but
1:43
she says this letter with a Bank of
1:45
America logo came out of her printer,
1:48
stating there's a serious matter
1:50
concerning your account. an unresolved
1:53
tax issue related to a personal
1:55
transaction from PayPal. As a result,
1:57
online account transfers are temporarily
2:00
blocked by the IRS. The letter goes on
2:02
to state, "We have not notified your
2:04
local branch. It's crucial you refrain
2:06
from discussing this transaction with
2:08
them. Doing so may lead to freezing or
2:11
seizing all funds in your account." You
2:14
can see the call with the person lasted
2:16
over 4 hours.
2:17
He kept saying, "Don't hang up on me.
2:19
Don't hang up." She did stay on the line
2:21
for over four hours. She drove to her
2:23
bank and withdrew $17,500.
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As she says, a man told her she could
2:28
keep $500 for her troubles.
2:30
The bank manager came over and he he
2:32
said, "Before we proceed," he said, "Are
2:34
you being harassed?" And I'm like, "No,
2:36
I'm not being pressured cuz I didn't
2:38
think I was. I didn't know. I didn't
2:40
know I was being scammed."
2:41
She says she even signed a document
2:43
saying she was taking this money out on
2:45
her own free will. After getting the
2:47
money, she continued to follow the
2:48
caller's instructions, drove home. This
2:51
letter, she says, printed from her
2:52
printer, thanking her for returning the
2:54
funds to PayPal, and a Mr. Jack has been
2:57
assigned to collect the cash not long
2:59
after her doorbell camera catches. This
3:02
man coming to her door to pick up the
3:04
cash. She handed over the cash, thinking
3:07
the ordeal is over, and called her
3:10
daughters to tell them about her long
3:12
day. Before I could hardly get this
3:14
story out of my mouth, I go, "Mom,
3:16
you've been scammed."
3:17
At first, she thought she was the only
3:18
victim until she saw this man's mug
3:20
shot, Lingui Jang. She says it's the
3:22
same guy that came to her door and she
3:24
handed over her $17,500.
3:28
Jeang is charged with obtaining property
3:29
under false pretenses in her case. and
3:32
he along with another suspect are also
3:34
facing charges in person, Durm, and
3:36
Granville counties of obtaining property
3:38
under false pretenses, assessing
3:40
computers, and felony conspiracy.
3:43
According to the Person County Sheriff,
3:44
whose department was a first to make the
3:46
arrest, the two suspects are living in
3:48
this country without legal permission.
3:50
The sheriff says they're currently
3:51
working with the North Carolina SBI and
3:53
the Department of Homeland Security to
3:54
identify more victims and suspects. And
3:57
while the total amount of money scammed
3:58
is unknown at this time, he says it's
4:01
close to $400,000.
4:04
It never occurred to me that I that
4:06
there was going to be an evil person
4:07
coming into my life.
4:08
The financial loss is devastating as a
4:10
large chunk of the money gone is money
4:12
she says is from an insurance policy to
4:15
pay her medical bills when she fought
4:17
cancer last year.
4:19
What I want people to know is just
4:21
because you're tired that day, don't let
4:22
your defenses down.
4:25
so heartbreaking that she fell for this
4:27
scam. Now, the suspects are still behind
4:29
bars at the Person County Detention
4:31
Center, and investigators say the
4:33
Department of Homeland Security has
4:35
detainers in place. When it comes to the
4:37
victim's bank, Bank of America, a
4:39
representative told me they're
4:40
investigating the case and can't comment
4:42
until their investigation is complete.
4:45
I'm trouble shooter Dian Wilson, ABC11
4:47
Eyewitness News.
#Crime & Justice
#Social Issues & Advocacy