A special education teacher in Berkeley, California, Danielle White, became a victim of a sophisticated phone scam that resulted in significant financial loss. On October 20, 2023, White received a call from individuals posing as police officers, claiming she had missed a jury summons and was facing arrest.
Details of the Scam
During the phone call, which began around 2 p.m., the callers presented themselves as Oakland police officers. They provided badge numbers and insisted the conversation was being recorded for safety. The scammers claimed that White had a pending court appearance tied to an old address, and they threatened her with arrest.
Over the next 27 hours, White was isolated from her family and friends. The scammers used tactics to instill fear, including fake sound effects and false impersonation, making their story convincing. They instructed her to pay thousands of dollars to “freeze” citations to avoid arrest.
Financial Loss
By the time she realized it was a scam, White had lost nearly $70,000, her entire life savings. The scammers directed her to various cryptocurrency ATMs in Oakland, where she deposited cash in increments of $1,000, as this was the maximum allowed by California law for transactions. Much of the money was sent to the scammers via QR codes.
White visited multiple ATMs, including machines operated by CoinFlip and Bitcoin Depot, before she finally hung up on the fraudsters following a conversation with a friend who convinced her of the situation’s reality.
Police and Community Response
Berkeley police reported over 100 similar fraud cases last year. Officer Byron White noted that fraud cases of this nature are quite common, utilizing strategies that were listed by the FBI as prevalent across the nation. In total, scammers accumulated an estimated $16.6 billion in losses for American victims last year alone.
White has since filed complaints with both the Berkeley Police Department and the FBI. Additionally, her friends and family initiated a GoFundMe campaign to help her recover some of her lost savings. As of the latest update, the campaign has raised over half of its $7,000 goal.
Safety Tips to Avoid Scams
In light of this incident, authorities have provided the following tips for individuals to protect themselves:
- Do not share sensitive personal information over the phone or online.
- Verify any claims from callers claiming to be law enforcement by directly reaching out to local authorities.
- Never send money or assets to someone you do not know.
- Document any interactions with suspected scammers, including dates, methods of communication, and payment details.
The Berkeley Police Department emphasized they will never ask for payment over the phone, advising citizens to use official channels for any payments or inquiries.
Danielle White’s experience serves as a stark reminder of the evolving tactics of scammers, underscoring the importance of awareness and vigilance in financial transactions.
