An elaborate scam may have cost a Bowling Green woman more than $35,000.
On Feb. 15, Bowling Green police took a report at the station of a scam.
The woman told police she had lost $35,500 via wire transfer.
She said earlier that morning she had received a call from a number claiming to be associated with Amazon, advising her there had been fraudulent charges associated with her account. She was then transferred to a bank representative, who then transferred her to the IRS, according to the Bowling Green Police Division report.
She told police that the IRS employee advised her they had received several complaints regarding fraudulent activity surrounding her bank located in Bowling Green. She was advised the U.S. Treasury was conducting a background check on the branch and they would be placing restrictions on her account in the next three or four days, according to the report.
She said the caller told her that her Social Security number would be suspended, and he would travel to her home to provide a new identity.
The woman provided the caller a picture of her driver’s license via text message.
During the call, the man demanded she not tell anyone, according to the report.
The caller told her in order to keep her money safe, she needed to provide a wire transfer to the account he provided.
After making the transfer she returned to work and spoke to her boss, who said she may have been scammed, according to the report.
She contacted the bank, which attempted to recall the wired funds.
Officers told the woman to contact the attorney general’s office and extra patrol was dispatched to her home since the caller had her address.
