Authorities are alerting people about a new wave of scammers targeting older people in the Tri-Counties.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives say two people were scammed out of tens of thousands of dollars this week, but they stopped a third attempted theft before it was completed.
Investigators say a 77-year-old Goleta woman received a call saying that her bank accounts were breached, and that she should withdraw $30,000 from her checking account to resolve the issue. The woman withdrew the money after being coached by the scammer on the phone.
However, the victim became suspicious and contacted the Sheriff’s Office. Detectives went to the woman’s home. When Caihong Lee of Los Angeles arrived to pick up the money, they arrested her. Lee is facing grand theft and fraud charges.
Investigators have some tips on how to keep your money safe:
- Never act on unsolicited calls about account issues. Contact the company or agency directly using their official phone numbers or email addresses.
- Be wary of urgent demands for money.
- Never give out account details on the phone or by email.
- Watch for red flags, such as poor grammar in emails or unusual requests to withdraw large amounts of cash from your accounts.
- Report suspicious calls immediately.
