A Texas woman lost more than $14,000 after scammers impersonating her bank persuaded her to hand over her debit card to an Uber driver dispatched to her home.
The northeast Bexar County resident, identified as Denise Mumme, says she received an unexpected call from someone claiming to be with USAA who noticed a large charge on her account, reports reports KSAT.
The caller convinced her to turn over the card to the arriving driver, who then passed it along to 26-year-old Haquilla Watson.
Watson used the card for a spree
Watson used the card for a spree that included ATM cash withdrawals, money orders and purchases at the Apple Store.
Sheriff’s investigators arrested Watson on charges of credit or debit card abuse and fraudulent use of identifying information.
Surveillance footage captured the driver meeting Watson outside a Crumbl Cookies location and later showed Watson making the fraudulent transactions around town.
Mumme noticed the missing funds two days later
Mumme noticed the missing funds two days later and alerted authorities, who cracked the case with video evidence.
She now warns others to verify any bank calls directly using official numbers instead of those provided by the caller.
The incident occurred in June and underscores the risks of sophisticated impersonation schemes targeting bank customers.
