Suburban Chicago couple scammed out of $4,200 in savings for their funerals
CICERO, Ill. (CBS) – An elderly suburban couple was scammed out of thousands of dollars they were saving for their own funerals.
They didn't click on any suspicious links or answer any spam phone calls. All they did was mail a check.
It might not be something an 88-year-old grandma might say.
"I feel like a criminal!" said Dinah Zaragoza.
But every since the Zaragozas sent in a check for their gas bill, the couple sparked an investigation by U.S. Bank.
"We never receive updates or explanations," she said.
A close look at a carbon copy in Dinah's checkbook would reveal the problem. In two areas, she wrote $62 for a July 15 check to Nicor Gas, but the same check arrived at the bank with a very different amount: $4,200.
"I was stunned because there is no bill that I would have been paying that amount," Zaragoza said.
It appeared that Dinah and Pedro, her husband of 70 years, were the victims of a modern-day scam called "check washing."
U.S. Bank warned about such fraud on its website. It's a crime that increased by 84% in frequency in 2022, and involved $815 million, according to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.
"Why should the customer pay a price?" Zaragoza said, referring to how the $4,200 came out of the couple's bank account.
It burnt a hole in their savings that was meant for a special purpose.
"We tried to have money to be buried when it's our time," she said.
Dinah and Pedro weren't getting any younger as U.S. Bank investigators considered the police report and fraud affidavit the seniors submitted. About five months passed.
"We want our money back!" Dinah said.
Then, a miracle – within 24 hours of CBS 2 reaching out to U.S. Bank, the elderly couple got all their money back. Dinah said she thanked God.
"Oh my goodness," said Linda Jaracz, the couple's daughter. "I thought, 'Well, how wonderful.'"
Jaracz, who originally contacted CBS 2, was frustrated with the bank. She told CBS 2 they provided all the information investigators requested and wrote, "We are all exhausted and would like to ask you to help us."
"My husband was around. I told him, 'Hun. I can't believe it. They did it. The money's there,'" Jaracz said.
Dinah added, "It was such a relief, but why did it take all this?"
Jaracz helps her parents pay their bills online now. They no longer deal with paper checks that fraudsters can fudge.
Still, something was nagging at Dinah. She doesn't understand how the "washed" check got through bank security.
"Why didn't they ask that person all these questions that they're now asking us?" she said.
Customers are advised to pay their bills online, but for those who do mail a check, they should take it to a mailbox inside a post office. Also, using a black gel pen can make it harder for scammers to alter the check.
U.S. Bank couldn't explain what took so long to fix the mess and said it regrets the frustration that the Zaragozas experienced.
In a statement, the bank said: "We regret the frustration with the experience but we are glad this claim was successfully resolved for the client. As far as general advice, clients who notice suspicious activity on their accounts are encouraged to reach out immediately to file a claim. Once a claim is filed, it is important to keep an eye out for an respond to any requests for information to help expedite the review of the claim."
