Sarasota news events:
The Sarasota Police Department is warning the public about an emerging scam involving ride-sharing apps and large cash withdrawals. Two cases reported this week in the City of Sarasota are under investigation, with similar incidents also being investigated by the Venice Police Department and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Sarasota police were notified of a grand theft at a local bank in the 3500 block of Osprey Avenue.
A 73-year-old woman told officers she received a text message asking whether she had used her credit card for a specific purchase. She later received another message asking if she had just withdrawn nearly $10,000 from her bank account.
The victim then spent approximately two hours on the phone with a woman posing as a bank fraud investigator. The scammer told the victim her identity had been stolen and claimed someone inside the bank may have been involved. The scammer instructed the victim to go to the bank to obtain new debit and credit cards and withdraw $18,500, telling her the funds would later be reimbursed through the FDIC.
Bank employees questioned the large withdrawal, but the victim said the money was for the holidays, travel and home repairs. The scammer directed the victim to place the cash and new debit and credit cards into a shopping bag and give them to an “FDIC representative” who would meet her at the bank.
Instead, the scammer arranged for a ride-sharing courier to pick up the package and transport it to Miami. When the driver arrived, the victim placed the bag in the back seat of the vehicle.
The scammer later asked the victim about the contents of her safe deposit box and her jewelry, suggesting she insure the items and warning that armed individuals could come to her home. The victim and her husband eventually contacted their actual bank, which advised them to end the call and confirmed it was a scam.
Using information provided by the victim, the Sarasota Police Department’s Real Time Operations Center (ROC) located the ride-share driver. Officers determined the driver was unaware of the crime and recovered the cash and cards, which were returned to law enforcement and ultimately back to the victim.
The Sarasota Police Department wants to remind the public:
- Banks and government agencies will never ask you to withdraw cash or hand it to a courier.
- Do not trust caller ID, text messages or links claiming to be from a bank.
- If you are unsure, hang up and call your bank directly using a verified number.
- Report suspected scams to local law enforcement immediately.
