Bank spoofing calls have become quite common over the years. In these scams, criminals pose as bank workers and ask victims to move their money to keep it safe. These incidents are so prevalent that even well-read people who are aware of such scams cannot avoid them.
ABC7 news journalist Rob Elgas also became a target of such a scam but managed to avoid losing money. “I talked to them for 34 minutes. They took their time,” Elgas revealed. “It was sophisticated. It really freaked me out.” At the last moment, Elgas realized that he was being scammed and said to the scammers, “Look, you’re trying to scam me.”
Officials warn of banking spoof callers draining customers' accounts
'We urge all consumers to ignore phone, text, or internet requests to move money or gain access to their computer or bank accounts,' Chase Bank said https://t.co/9PxPyIeoLE #FoxBusiness— 🇺🇸 Chris 🇺🇸 (@christar_777) May 5, 2026
However, the ABC7 journalist hung up the phone and avoided losing nearly $2,000. Chase customer Jennifer Lichthardt, on the other hand, lost $40,000 through a similar spoof call. The Chase customer detailed her ordeal to ABC7, explaining how she lost a large sum of money.
“The first call I got, it was the number on the back of my Chase debit card, and it said Chase fraud department,” Lichthardt said in a conversation with ABC7. She revealed how the scammers were well aware of her banking details. They even “read her the account number” and “had the bank balance down to the penny.”
Lichthardt revealed that she was convinced her money was not safe in her Chase account and had to be moved to a “safe” location. Chase Bank revealed that the amount was debited from the scammers’ account the same day after Lichthardt transferred the amount.
Chase Bank issued a statement on the scam calls, urging customers to stay alert. “We urge all consumers to ignore phone, text, or internet requests to move money or gain access to their computer or bank accounts. Banks and legitimate companies won’t make these requests, but scammers will,” Chase said in a statement with ABC7.
You think you’re way too smart to ever fall for a bank scam call?
Scammers are spoofing Chase and Huntington numbers perfectly right now. They know your actual account details cold and panic you into Zelle-ing your own cash away to “protect” your funds.
They just drained an… pic.twitter.com/Qmma30hhdc
— Jen (@IlliniJen) May 5, 2026
Wells Fargo issued a similar statement, showing that this incident is not limited to Chase Bank customers. Wells Fargo urged customers not to rely on caller ID, as many scammers use technology to make calls appear to come from a bank. The bank also urged its customers not to share any private information and not to approve any unknown transactions.
Robert Richardson, an FBI agent, also spoke on the matter, addressing how people should handle it when an FBI agent gets involved. “When somebody is calling pretending to be the FBI, the victim then thinks they are in trouble,” Richardson said. “They are already frazzled, and when they are making these decisions, the criminal then starts to rush them more. The more they are rushed, the more decision-making they make last-minute.”
As of May 2026, it’s unclear whether or not Lichthardt will get her money back. Both she and Chase Bank are working with the authorities to ensure the scammers are apprehended.
