Description

On Friday February 17th at 3:38 PM, I received a call from 1-800-972-3030, the official Fifth Third Customer Service number. I was told there was fraudulent activity on my checking account. I was told to confirm my debit card number so they could shut off that card and issue me a new card. I don't remember if the man on the line told me his name, unfortunately. The man asked me if I usually paid for gas at a gas pump. I said yes. He told me my card could've been compromised at a gas pump so I should pay for gas inside the store. I checked my account and didn't see any fraudulent activity on my checking account. However, I believed this was legitimate because it came from the official Fifth Third Customer Service number and because of his comment about gas pumps that made it seem like he was concerned and legitimate. The man sent me a one-time verification code on my phone using the official "535353" text number. He had me state the verification code as the last step to get a new card issued to me. He claimed he was having technology issues, so he sent me another one-time verification code on my phone using the official "535353" text number. He also kept placing me on brief holds because he said his "preliminary team" was reaching out to him. Supposedly, our calls kept getting disconnected as well. It was never on my end. So I got a few more calls from the same man from the official Fifth Third Customer Service number at 1-800-972-3030: one at 3:44 PM, one at 3:48 PM, and one at 3:49 PM, on the same day, Friday, February 17th. Finally, he sent me one more one-time verification code using the official "535353" text number. Apparently, that code worked when I stated it to him. After that code went through and I was still on the phone with the man, I received a series of emails that I checked at around 4:16 PM that day. At 4:00 PM, my Fifth Third user ID had been retrieved. At 4:00 PM, my Fifth Third password had been reset. At 4:08 PM, my account had been registered for Zelle. I never had a Zelle account before. At 4:16 PM, a Zelle payment of $1,000.00 had been sent to "SHACKERA HARRIS". $1,000.00 had been transferred from my savings account to my checking account without my permission, and then the man used that $1,000.00 for the fraudulent transaction. The man told me he'd see if he could get the "expedited fee" waived so I could get my new card in one business day. He said the fee was waived, and I never got a card until I disputed the transaction with the dispute department. To recap, I got a call from 1-800-972-3030. I thought it was legitimate so I provided my debit card number connected to my checking account (the account that was used for the Zelle transaction). I was never asked for any information on the call other than the debit card number. The man tricked me into providing him the verification number from the official "535353" text number, and that verification number was apparently used to take over my Fifth Third account, transfer $1,000.00, and use that money for a Zelle transaction to "SHACKERA HARRIS". I was under the impression the verification number would be used as the final step of the process of verifying my information and getting me a new card re-issued.