Fraud Fighters: Maria

Maria, owner of a thriving bakery, received a call from a man claiming to be from her bank's merchant services department. The caller, with a professional tone, explained a new policy requiring an upgrade to their point-of-sale (POS) system to accept contactless payments. The "upgrade" involved transferring a sum of money to cover the equipment and installation costs.

Maria, eager to keep her bakery on the cutting edge, was initially receptive. However, a memory surfaced from a recent business seminar – a warning about impersonation scams targeting small businesses. Suddenly cautious, Maria politely asked for more information and a way to verify the caller's identity.

The caller grew flustered, insisting it was an urgent matter and the upgrade couldn't be delayed. This only solidified Maria's suspicions. She thanked the caller for the information and ended the call.

Immediately after, Maria contacted her bank directly using the phone number of her merchant services representative.

The representative confirmed Maria's suspicion – it was a scam.

The bank had no record of any new policy or equipment upgrades.

Relieved and grateful for her training, Maria reported the attempted scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). She also contacted other local businesses in her community to warn them about the impersonation scam targeting POS systems. Maria's awareness not only protected her bakery from financial loss but potentially saved other businesses from falling victim to the same ploy.

Maria G.
Business Owner, Fraud Fighter

Learn about more ways ordinary people have fought fraud here.