Foley Police Warn of Text Message Scam

(KNSI) – The Foley Police Department is warning area residents of a scam that starts with a text message.

Police say a Foley resident called them last week after having money taken from their bank account. Investigators say the victim got a text message asking to confirm a purchase, and the text told them to call a number listed in the message if they didn’t make the purchase.

The resident didn’t buy anything, so they called the number provided. The person on the other end stated she was with Amazon and transferred her to the “security department.” Another person confirmed the victim’s credit card number on the Amazon account.

The “security department” told the victim to download an app called “AnyDesk.” The victim opened the app and quickly closed it after realizing it was recording their screen.

The victim gave them a few more steps they needed to do to cancel the transaction. Eventually, the victim was told someone purchased an amazon credit card and bought the item. The victim was told to open their online banking while on the phone. The victim was told to move money from their savings to their checking and download the “Zell” app.

The victim was given numbers to enter to “block” the purchase. The victim was then directed to go to a Dollar Store or CVS Pharmacy and buy google play cards.

When the resident went to the Dollar General in Foley and read off the dollar amounts on the google play cards, the victim was told to go somewhere else and get cards with larger amounts because they would need up to $1,000 to stop the transactions.

The victim was told to tell the store it was for personal use. At that point, the victim realized it was a scam and hung up the phone. However, there was already a charge on their bank account from Zell.

The Foley Police Department is warning residents if they get a similar text message.

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