A Valley soccer coach had been working and saving his money before scammers wiped him out. He’s sharing his story to warn others about a scam he said sounded so real.
Robby Jacobs, 26, a youth soccer coach, said scammers posing as a bank representative told him his money wasn’t safe, so he needed to take measures to secure it — but it was all a lie. By the time Jacobs learned it was a scam, it was too late.
Jacobs loves coaching soccer. He’s been working with soccer teams for the past three years, doing what he loves, and saving his money.
“It’s very joyful. I love it!" said Jacobs. “It feels good to know that I'm making a difference in some of these kids’ lives, and that's always been my goal.”
But while he was teaching kids the fundamentals of soccer, Jacobs had his own life lesson to learn.
“I obviously have been aware of fraud and scams, but these people sounded so professional. It never crossed my mind that someone could make it look like Wells Fargo was sending a text message,” Jacobs explained.
He said it started when he received an unexpected text message, asking if he had used his card for a $1,300 purchase.
"I immediately responded, ‘no,’” Jacobs said.
Jacobs said he then received a call.
“It was first a man that called me, and he was very smooth on the phone, and then he transferred me to a woman who he said was in the fraud specialist team.”
Jacobs was convinced he was speaking with a real banking specialist.
“She was able to tell me all the transactions that were used on my card from the past few weeks,” Jacobs added.
Jacobs said the caller also told him someone was trying to use his identity to withdraw money from his account. He said he became very emotional.
He said the caller went to tell him that scams were happening, and the best way to secure his money was to withdraw it from the bank and transfer it to a new account that they would create for him.
Jacobs followed the caller’s instruction; he was protecting his cash.
“The caller said you use the Bluetooth connector that's on the ATM, scan your phone on it with your Apple Wallet card, the card they had me create, and then you just enter all the cash in it, and then it's in your new account,” Jacobs said, explaining what the caller told him.
However, as soon as he opened the new account, the scammers gained access and Jacobs said they stole more than $30,000.
Jacobs said it was a dark time for him.
“I was struggling to coach, struggling to maintain a positive mindset about anything as the majority of my life savings, hard work for the last three, four years, was gone in one phone call,” said Jacobs.
But it was coaching that gave him hope. Jacobs said he began to feel joy again, while coaching, and began to understand that there are bigger things in life that matter.
The parents of Jacob’s soccer team also offered hope. After parents heard about what happened to their beloved coach, they wanted to help. The team created an online fundraiser.
“He has put so much time into our kids, as a person and the quality of the person he is, and what he gives to our kids,” said Steve Ress, a parent of the soccer team.
Wells Fargo denied Jacobs’ claim to get his money back. Wells Fargo said their investigation found no evidence of a hack, error, or unauthorized account access.
Wells Fargo said in a statement: "We deeply empathize with those affected by financial scams and understand the significant emotional and financial toll on its victims. Protecting our customers from criminals is incredibly important, and we have taken considerable action to combat scammers, including ongoing education efforts to raise awareness of common scams.”
Wells Fargo also states it won’t ask a customer to send a payment, move money, or make a deposit to prevent or stop fraud in your account.
Tips for consumers:
- Be wary of unexpected calls, texts, social media posts, or emails from scammers impersonating banks, tech support companies and government agencies.
- Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers can “spoof” legitimate numbers.
- Don’t be pressured or rushed into making a transaction.
- Don’t send money without carefully verifying the recipient and the request as legitimate. Once you send or deposit money into another account, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get it back, even if it involves a scam. Scammers typically withdraw the funds immediately.
- Don’t share personal information, such as passwords, PIN numbers, or access codes.
- Don’t be afraid to end communication with the person who contacted you and take time to research and verify who’s contacting you.
Banks won’t ask you to send a payment, move your money, or make a deposit to prevent or stop fraud in your account.
Remember, if you ever have any questions about the activity on your debit or credit card, there’s always a number on the back of your credit card.
Kim Jones, Chief Information Security Officer, of High Wire Networks, says when you receive a text or call unexpectedly, it’s important to act, not react.
“It’s hard when someone says, 'Did you authorize $1,000, that you didn’t, everyone goes ‘ahhh!’ And you want to react...react through the channels that you know don’t react through the places they send you,” Jones said.
Jacobs says he doesn't want anyone to fall victim to this scam, so he’s sharing his story in hopes no one does.
To donate to Jacobs’ online fundraiser, click here.
