Kish Fraud Awareness Week: 11/17–11/21

A woman met a man on social media who claimed to work on an oil rig. After gaining her trust, he said his equipment broke and asked for help. He sent her a check from a joint account and told her to deposit it, then buy gift cards and send him the codes. She did — but the check bounced. Thankfully, she recovered most of the money.

Lesson: Never send money or gift cards to someone you’ve only met online. Scammers often use emotional manipulation and fake emergencies.

A customer saw a pop-up on her computer claiming to be from Microsoft. It told her to call a number for urgent maintenance. When she did, the scammer took control of her computer and convinced her to withdraw all her money and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM — claiming her bank was having issues. She was told to lie to her bank and promised the money would be returned after “maintenance.” It never was.

Lesson: Real companies don’t ask you to move money or use Bitcoin ATMs. If in doubt, stop and verify with a trusted source.

A man received a text claiming to be from Kish Bank’s fraud department about a suspicious $299.99 Walmart charge. The message urged him to click a link to stop the transaction. He clicked — and was taken to a fake Kish Bank site where he entered his login and authentication code. The scammers stole his credentials and began transferring money from his account without permission.

Lesson: Never click on links in unexpected texts. Always contact your bank directly using a trusted number.

A customer contacted an online retailer about restoring a specialized helmet. After pausing the project, he resumed communication — but unknowingly through a fraudulent email. The impersonators requested full payment via Venmo, Cash App, or Apple Pay, then sent a second invoice demanding bitcoin for additional work. Suspicious, the customer restarted contact through the official website and discovered the scam.

Lesson: Always verify email addresses and payment methods. Legitimate vendors rarely request payment through peer-to-peer apps or cryptocurrency.