A Daytona Beach retiree says nearly her entire nest egg vanished after slick phone scammers convinced her they were from her bank and even the FBI. Carol Ann Moritz recalls being shuffled among multiple voices on the line, all sounding official, all insisting she move her money right away. The transfers, she says, went into accounts she did not control and ultimately totaled in the mid-six figures, wiping out the savings she planned to live on and leaving her terrified about what comes next.
As reported by WFTV, Moritz told Action 9 Consumer Investigator Jeff Deal that the nightmare started with what sounded like a routine call from someone claiming to be with Fifth Third Bank. She says that the caller then transferred her to others who walked her through verifying account details and moving the money. "I'm terrified. I can't eat. I can't sleep," she told the station. According to the report, she wired more than $135,000 to a Bank of America account in South Florida under the pretext of buying a business, only to realize the next day that it had all been a scam. Fifth Third helped Moritz open a new account and reported the fraud to law enforcement, but the bank told reporters the funds had already been moved before they could be recovered.
How the fraud worked
Investigators describe a layered impersonation play in which crooks cycle through multiple voices and fake titles until a victim feels surrounded by authority. The pressure ramps up, the clock starts ticking, and suddenly "urgent" becomes more important than "true." According to the Federal Trade Commission, reports from older adults who lost $10,000 or more to business- or government-impersonation scams more than quadrupled between 2020 and 2024, and combined losses for cases over $100,000 climbed sharply in the same period. The agency notes that old-fashioned phone calls are still a common entry point, and that scammers frequently direct victims to wire money, feed cash into crypto ATMs, or hand off cash or gold to couriers so the money is almost impossible to claw back. Those tactics closely mirror what Moritz says happened to her.
Banks and investigators respond
Fifth Third's fraud team told reporters that attempts to impersonate bank staff and government agents have surged, and that the bank is trying to keep up with more customer education and extra safeguards behind the scenes. As WFTV reports, the bank helped Moritz close her compromised account and contact authorities, but employees said the scammers had already moved the money by the time anyone realized what was happening. A retired FBI agent quoted in the story urged people to treat surprise messages and calls with suspicion and to hang up, then call back using a number from a bank statement, credit card, or official website rather than any number the caller offers.
How to protect yourself
The Federal Trade Commission boils the advice down to a blunt rule: do not move money just because someone tells you it is the only way to "protect" it. If you get an unexpected call, text, or email about your accounts, hang up or stop responding, then verify it yourself using a trusted number or website. If you suspect fraud, report it to law enforcement and to the Federal Trade Commission, and contact your bank's fraud department immediately so staff can try to stop or trace any transfers. Blocking unwanted calls, looping in a trusted family member before making big financial moves, and saving call logs, emails, or text messages can also help investigators understand the scam and track the thieves.
Moritz's story is a stark reminder that sophisticated impersonation schemes can erase decades of savings and leave emotional scars that do not show up on any balance sheet. Officials say staying skeptical, double-checking every surprise request, and reporting fast remain the strongest defenses while investigators work to follow the money trail.
