Wells Fargo Customers Lose Nearly $6,000 In ATM Withdrawal Scam: Report

Two men are accused of taking nearly $6,000 from Wells Fargo customers in California by switching debit cards at ATMs.

Lemon Grove sheriff’s detectives say the pair watched people enter their PINs, then distracted them, swapped the cards and withdrew cash before the customers noticed.

Sergio Romero, 40, and Franklin Florez, 31, were allegedly identified through license plate readers and surveillance video.

Authorities tied them to five Lemon Grove victims. Documented losses there run from $100 to more than $2,700 and total about $5,990. Two of those victims were elderly.

Detectives also linked the suspects to about 15 similar cases across San Diego County. Wells Fargo fraud officials separately tied them to about 15 cases in Orange and Los Angeles counties.

Combined Southern California losses from the broader operation are estimated at about $120,000.

Says San Diego County Sheriff’s Detective Aaron Catanach,

“When the victim gets the card back in their hand, they usually don’t check to see if it was their card.”

Romero was booked on elder fraud, robbery, identity theft, grand theft and resisting a peace officer. Florez was booked on robbery, identity theft and conspiracy.

Both men have pleaded not guilty.

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The post Wells Fargo Customers Lose Nearly $6,000 In ATM Withdrawal Scam: Report appeared first on The Daily Hodl.