We’ve told you plenty of stories about how people have lost significant amounts of money to scams.
But there’s an uplifting story about two local bank managers who stepped in and saved the day.
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Earlier this month, a couple from Nashua, New Hampshire, was targeted in a sophisticated scam. According to Billerica Police, the couple picked up a call from an unknown number and were convinced thatthere was illegal activity on their computer and that they needed to wire transfer $80,000 to a bank account.
"They try to say that you're in trouble and they work as a federal agent, in order to get you out of trouble, you need to transfer your money out of your bank account over to a new bank account,” said Sgt. Rocco Magliozzi of the Billerica Police Department.
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The couple called the Hanscom Federal Credit Union branch in Burlington to initiate the transfer. But Billerica Police say the branch manager immediately suspected it was a scam and advised the couple they would have to make the transfer in person. Hanscom's Billerica branch manager Melody Anoli was quickly notified about what was going on before the couple arrived.
“This is a team effort. It stems from all of us working as a team when something like this happens,” explained Anoli.
She then contacted the Billerica Police Department for assistance.
“We know our members very well. We do a lot of financial wellness coaching with our members,” said Anoli. “We know their behaviors and we know what to look for when something may not be right.”
Thanks to the alert and suspicious bank employees, the couple did not send the money and the bank helped secure their accounts.
“Hanscom Federal Credit Union did an amazing job at stopping this before it happens. A lot of the times we're getting these cases after the person's already out a significant amount of money,” said Magliozzi.
“I'm just very happy that I'm here at Hanscom. I'm very happy that the education that they give me. And I'm happy that I got to work with the law enforcement in this town. They acted very quickly, and I'm very proud of them as well,” said Anoli.
Billerica Police say it’s always better to preemptively stop a scam from happening – once the money is gone it can be difficult if not impossible to get it back. They say you should be wary of anyone who contacts you unexpectedly requesting money. Also be suspicious of anyone requesting large sums of money in the form of a wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency purchase.
If a request someone is making feels off --- trust your gut and talk to a family member about it and report any scam incidents to police and the Federal Trade Commission.
