Complex bank impersonation scam; woman loses savings
WHITEFISH BAY, Wis. - A complex and convincing scam drained a Whitefish Bay woman of her entire savings. Throughout the month-long scam, the fraudsters falsified government documents, badges and bank deposit records to earn her trust.
Kaitlin Henze has taken steps to grow her finances since she was a kid.
"I have been very diligent in saving my money," said Henze.
After a series of missteps, Henze lost her entire savings, her 401(k) and investments. The scammers stole more than $200,000.
"It’s literally everything I have saved since I started working as a babysitter at age 12," Henze told Contact 6. "It’s what I was saving for my future to live some of the dreams that I’ve had."
Henze says she fell victim to an elaborate scam. It started with a phone call. The caller ID said ‘Wells Fargo Fraud.’
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The caller told Henze her identity had been stolen.
"I checked my bank account statement and there were some weird transactions that I didn’t recognize," said Henze.
Kaitlin Henze
Henze says she was transferred to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) officer, or so he said. The man already had a lot of her personal information, like her Social Security number, former addresses and where she’d attended college.
Henze googled the phone numbers and names of the officers and thought they seemed authentic. She was told if she didn’t cooperate, she’d be a suspect in a money laundering case.
"They gave me copies of the (officer’s) ID, badge and everything really checked out," said Henze.
Henze spoke and texted with the scammers constantly. They instructed her to make wire transfers, to buy bitcoin and gift cards. They said it was all to secure her money and elude the identity thieves. Henze was told to shut down every account in her name, including the one at Wells Fargo, in order to open a more secure bank account under a new Social Security number.
"Every time I posed a skeptical question, they had a realistic answer for it. They sent me certified letters in the mail that were signed by the head cryptocurrency attorney," said Henze. "They were very articulate. Very intelligent."
"Obviously, this is a big ticket scam, so the scammers are going to put more time and more effort into it," said Jim Temmer, BBB Serving Wisconsin President, of Henze’s case.
Jim Temmer
Temmer says if you ever get an unsolicited call from a bank, stop the conversation to verify.
"If they say it’s a (bank) account you have, go back to the account statement. Call the customer service number on that," said Temmer.
AN FTC spokesperson tells Contact 6 it "will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize."
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The FTC says if a consumer is contacted by anyone claiming to represent a government agency, they should hang up and call the number on its website.
Wells Fargo sent Contact 6 a pre-taped video statement about impersonation scams. In it, a Wells Fargo executive says consumers should not trust caller ID. Also, they shouldn’t share personal information. They should not be pressured or rushed.
"What we’ve seen in the last 18 months has been much more aggressive," said Dan Cusick, Wells Fargo fraud and claims executive. "Walk away. Give it 24 to 48 hours. Think through it. Lean on a support system and then do some research."
Dan Cusick
Henze says she had no idea scammers could be so elaborate. Once she realized she’d been taken by a scam, it took her months to agree to an interview with Contact 6. She decided it’s a step in the right direction.
"Because of how much trauma I went through," said Henze. "I want to prevent other people from going through that."
Full statement from FTC spokesperson
"Impersonation scams continue to be one of the most commonly reported scams to the FTC, and government impersonators in particular pose a significant risk to consumers. The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize. Anyone who does is a scammer. If a consumer is contacted by someone claiming to work for a government agency by phone demanding money, they should hang up, go directly the government agency’s website, and contact that agency directly on the phone number listed on the agency’s website. The FTC and our law enforcement partners are working to stop scams like these, and we encourage consumers to report them to us at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov."