Following a scammer’s orders, woman withdraws $15,000 from Olympia bank, Centralia cops say

A fraud investigation was launched Tuesday after a woman was nearly scammed out of $15,000, according to Centralia police.

Police say a person pretending to work for the woman’s bank contacted her and claimed her bank account had been blocked by fraudulent activity.

“The suspect convinced the victim to go to her bank in Olympia and draw out all funds totaling just over fifteen thousand dollars,” a news release reads.

The suspect then directed the victim to go to a bank in Chehalis and deposit the money into an account using the ATM, telling her she would receive her funds back once her account was unblocked, according to the release.

Meanwhile, a family member learned about the woman’s withdrawal, immediately recognized it as fraud and reported it to the police.

Police then contacted the Chehalis bank with the details of the fraud and the bank froze the funds in the account, according to the news release.

The victim will get some, if not all, of her money back once the investigation is complete, according to police.

The Centralia Police Department asks that residents be aware of ongoing scams that continue to focus on the elderly.

“Use caution when being contacted by people claiming to be a bank representative. Always ask for contact information for the person calling you and contact your bank to verify the activity being reported to you,” department officials said in the news release.