A Real Story of a Nearly Successful Scam
Every day, scammers come up with new tactics to trick people into handing over their money. At Horicon Bank, we do everything we can to protect our customers—but sometimes, it takes a deeper conversation to help someone realize they’re walking straight into a scam. In today’s blog, we sit down with Elizabeth from our Ripon team, who recently helped a customer avoid losing almost everything in a wire fraud scheme involving a fake inheritance, a mysterious lawyer, and a nearly convincing story.
Elizabeth, how did this situation start?
Elizabeth: A customer came in and said they needed to wire $3,000. That caught my attention right away because it was most of the money in their account, and they weren’t giving me much detail—just that it was going to a “family member in New York.”
What made you suspicious?
Elizabeth: The customer didn’t know the name of the person they was sending money to. When I asked, the customers said they were “waiting for a text with the name.” I asked again: “You’re wiring money to a family member… but you don’t know their name?” That’s when the story shifted.
What did the customer say next?
Elizabeth: The customer said a lawyer had emailed. Supposedly, a long-lost relative in New York had died and left our customer a $3 million inheritance. All the customer had to do was pay the $3,000 lawyer fee, and they’d receive the money in their account within two weeks.
Did the customer believe this was real?
Elizabeth: Oh yes, 100%. They even told me they were giving us a “heads up” that $3 million would be deposited into their account soon. I tried to gently explain it was a scam, but the customer kept saying, “He’s a real lawyer—his email said so.”
How did you respond?
Elizabeth: At that point, I brought him to our manager, Michelle’s office. She has a great way of calmly explaining scams in a way people can really hear. Between the two of us, we were able to help him see the red flags.
What are the biggest red flags people should watch for in situations like this?
Elizabeth: There are a few big ones:
- Changing stories. First, it was a family member. Then it was a lawyer. That’s a red flag.
- No clear recipient. If you’re wiring money and don’t even know the name of who it’s going to, that’s a huge warning sign.
- Too good to be true. A $3 million inheritance from someone you didn’t know? Scammers love making you feel like you hit the jackpot.
- Urgency and secrecy. They’ll push you to act fast and not tell anyone.
- Blind trust in titles. Just because someone says they’re a lawyer in an email doesn’t make it true.
What advice would you give people to protect themselves from these kinds of scams?
Elizabeth: Take a breath. If someone’s rushing you, pause.
- Ask questions. A legitimate lawyer won’t email out of the blue asking for money.
- Never wire money to someone you don’t know personally.
- Talk to your bank. We’re here to help. If something feels off, we’ll take a look with you. And if you are having doubts, but don’t want to sound foolish, trust me, you’re not foolish. Scammers are sneaky and they know how to make their stories seem legitimate. That’s where we can offer a different perspective and hopefully some clarity.
- Trust your gut. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Final thoughts?
Elizabeth: This customer came very close to losing everything in their account. Thankfully, we caught it in time—but not everyone is that lucky. The more we talk about these scams, the more we can help people avoid them. If you ever feel unsure about a money request, a sudden email, or a story that feels just a little “off”—please talk to someone. Talk to us. We’d rather have a hundred false alarms than let one scam succeed.
Stay safe. Stay skeptical. And always ask questions.