Banks Reject Reimbursement After Scammer Drains $75,000 From Woman’s Bank Accounts in Malicious App Scheme: Report

An elderly woman from Raleigh, North Carolina has fallen prey to a deceptive scheme that cost her $75,000.

Bettilyn Smyth’s ordeal began after she noticed two unfamiliar transactions on her bank account, reports ABC11.

Smyth called what she thought was customer support, but it turns out that she contacted a scammer who told her that her accounts were being targeted. 

She says the person on the phone told her that she has two hackers, one from Ohio and one from Dakota. 

The scammer warned that the hackers are very good and they need to check her accounts to make sure that the bad actors have not accessed them. Smyth was then instructed to download an app that provided her caller remote access to her accounts.  

Smyth says the scammer then told her to wire money or else, the hacker would have access to her account. She was also instructed what to say to her bank when she sends the funds.

“They told me to say it was a loan to the person and that the person would give me my money back…so stupidly, I told them that I knew the person, which I didn’t.”

Records show that one of Smyth’s accounts wired $25,000. The scammer also told her to wire more money from her other account. Smyth says she sent an additional $50,000. 

After suspecting that something is not right, Smyth contacted her banks in an attempt to stop the transactions but it was already too late. 

She says both banks told her that she can no longer recover the money.

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