HOLD THE PHONE: Can you fall victim to scammers?

In the modern digital age, hackers seek any and all opportunities to turn a phone call into a major payday.

In fact, the Westerville Division of Police (WPD) is recognizing a startling trend of scammers pairing modern technology with classic emotional manipulation tactics to steal thousands from residents.

In 2021, WPD received at least 19 reports of fraud or scamming, with losses totaling nearly $68,000.

“These scammers are professionals,” said WPD Chief Charles Chandler. “Even if you think it could never happen to you, we see every day how they take smart, sophisticated people, catch them off-guard and force them into an emotional state. From there, it’s relatively easy for them to work the situation and gain access to the victim’s money.”

This summer, Jane*, a Westerville resident, found herself on the receiving end of one such unwelcome call that would ultimately cost her about $15,000. The scammer, claiming to be a representative from Amazon’s security division named “Jesse,” told Jane that someone with a nearby mailing address used her account to purchase an iPhone. Jane checked her bank account and saw two unfamiliar transactions. Jesse had Jane download an application that allows users full remote access to mobile devices and computers when the proper authorizations and permissions are granted.

Jesse had just enough information about Jane to cause an emotionally fueled response that outpaced her usual thoughtful logic. Jesse had full control of Jane’s device and access to her accounts. Her whole world was at his fingertips.

He earned her trust by feigning empathy. He promised he would take care of the situation, but Jane needed to follow a few “rules” that were outright lies:

Don’t hang up: Jesse had Jane keep the call open from just before 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. while his “team” worked on the problem.

Don’t discuss the situation with anyone else, not even her husband: Hackers were likely tracking her calls and text messages.

Calls continued over the course of several days. All the while, Jesse preyed on Jane’s emotions about a potentially catastrophic financial loss. With each phone call, he used language that increased Jane’s fear of the hackers and trust in his ability to take care of the situation. He was incrementally building dependency and trust with every phone call, although it quickly turned to threats and demands, says WPD Officer Stacy Pentecost. Pentecost took Jane’s report once the hack was revealed.

“These scams are multifaceted in that there is a financial consequence that requires attention, and in some cases, their identity has also been compromised. These scams affect the victim’s self-confidence and cause undue strain on relationships,” said Pentecost. “It’s important to understand that this is happening in Westerville.”

Soon Jesse started to leave threatening voicemails, and Jane was on the phone with police.

Kenneth Yeager, Ph.D., Director of The Ohio State University Stress, Trauma and Resilience (STAR) Program says scammers count on panic and fear.

“Scammers play off the person’s fear by acting as if they can protect the person,” he said. “When the person experiences fear this takes the logical aspect of the brain offline. With the cerebral cortex offline there is no logic, only survival. The survival brain is quickly overwhelmed and the person is looking for a safe way out. It is not until the person is able to step back and regain their bearing and bring the cerebral cortex back online, it is usually too late.”

Jane contacted her financial institutions and reported the fraud.

“This could truly happen to anyone,” said Ofc. Pentecost. “What we can learn from this is to trust no unknown caller or information. If you’re ever in doubt about someone calling and saying your identity is compromised, call us. We can help at the beginning rather than the end.”

Chief Chandler says scammers often involve international callers so there is not a clear investigative path forward for victims. WPD can help provide official documentation, but it’s up to the victims to make the phone calls notifying banks and changing security settings on their devices.

Victims can share their experience with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The FTC does not investigate the reports individually, but shares them with law enforcement agencies to help aid in broader investigations.

“The bottom line: do anything you can to not allow yourself to become wrapped up emotionally if you receive one of these calls. Take a moment and hang up so you can investigate and consult a third party. If the person on the other line tries to prevent you from hanging up, that is suspicious behavior,” said Ofc. Pentecost.

WPD is making resources available to help residents learn about common scams at www.westerville.org/scams.

*Name of victim changed to protect her privacy

WPD Officer Stacy Pentecost assisted the victim after she reported the scam and financial loss.