Another Scam Phone Call Alert; This Time, the Bank Name's A Clue

Scam Alert! Robo-call claims "my debit card has been locked'

If you haven’t already heard a warning about this bogus call – read on.

Today I got the weirdest phishing phone call. It’s a robo-call (with a raspy British accent) saying:

“This is Washington Mutual. We’re calling to let you know that your debit card has been locked. Press 1 for more information.”

Washington Mutual?

Washington Mutual was caught in the implosion of the mortgage market. On Friday Sep 26, 2008 America woke to the news of the failure of WaMu - the nation's largest savings and loan. Overnight the federal government had seized Washington Mutual and brokered a deal - selling much of the company for about $1.9 billion to JPMorgan Chase.

Phishing (not fishing)

Since Washington Mutual doesn't exist anymore, and I don't have an account with Chase, I hung up immediately.

It was a phishing call. An attempt to acquire sensitive information by masquerading as a trustworthy entity.

This is a scam. A potential financial disaster. Don't fall victim to it.

I also received a second scam call (on my cell), within thirty minutes of the first one, this time from a different "spoofed" caller id phone number.

In fact, over the past couple of days I've had several people tell me they've also received the same phishing call. If you receive one - just hang up.

Share This Warning

Even if you know you wouldn’t fall for this scam, if you have potentially vulnerable friends or relatives, make sure to warn them - especially if they are a Chase customer.