Spoofing scam costs nurse her life savings; don't let this happen to you

Spoofing scam costs nurse her life savings; don’t let this happen to you،

Apple removed two anonymous apps from the App Store after a nurse named Avalon Grimes had her $24,000 savings stolen after receiving a scam call that appeared to be from Chase Bank. Both apps violated App Store policies prohibiting hosting apps that help others make prank and anonymous calls. According to CBS News New Yorkthe nurse received a phone call that appeared on her phone as being from Chase, but she was being targeted by a scammer.

A nurse is tricked by a fake phone call and loses all her savings.

As Grimes told CBS: “When I spoke with the police, they told me it was something called 'identity theft.' They can use an app and impersonate a number, and the number that came up, the full name that you would normally see when you call Chase, that number came up.” Records obtained from T-Mobile show that the number that The nurse called was the same number for Chase International Services as the number on the back of her credit card.

Grimes lost all of her savings when she agreed to transfer her funds to another account on the advice of the person on the other end of the line who she thought was her friendly Chase banker. “There shouldn't be any sort of app or way to spoof a number to make someone think it's a particular company,” Grimes said.

CBS News New York found several apps in the App Store that allow the user to spoof calls. One of the applications allowed CBS to spoof Chase Bank's phone number for free. CBS said that when it tested the app, it even showed Chase Bank on caller ID.

The app's developer, Ayman Abdallah, said the app was created for entertainment purposes and claimed that certain numbers from banks, schools and public safety agencies were banned from the app. Asked about the incident involving Nurse Grimes, Abdallah replied: “Yes, it should not be allowed. We will certainly take responsibility and ensure that international toll numbers are banned as well.”

Follow these tips to avoid falling victim to an identity theft scam

The developer also said that scammers are not using its app and placing the blame on wireless carriers. “All of these carriers need to collaborate together and also change these systems, but the question is why? Why are they leaving this open?” said Abdallah.

To prevent this from happening to you, do not repeat to a caller a security code that was sent via SMS to your phone. Nurse Grimes did this and it helped the scammers gain access to her account. Do not answer calls from a number you do not recognize. If you answer the call, hang up immediately. Do not press any buttons or give out any personal information such as your social security number, mother's maiden name, credit card numbers or any other passwords.

Don't trust any caller until you are sure you know who it is. Even then, Claire Rosenzweig of the Better Business Bureau says, “AI makes it much easier for fraudsters to steal identities. They can even spoof someone's voice. She adds that if you receive a call from a utility or government agency: “Take a moment, breathe, step back and contact the source.” If they say it's a public utility or government entity, you call the source. You go up to them: 'Have you tried to reach me?'” Rosenzweig said.

While Chase works with the bank the scammer used to get Grimes' money, it appears the money has already been withdrawn, leaving the nurse without her savings and having to start all over again. While banks are required to reimburse customers who are victims of fraud, this is not the case when the customer was tricked into approving a fraudulent transaction.