A 54-year-old Troy woman says a caller posing as her bank’s fraud department talked her into walking into her branch, pulling out cash, and then handing it over to a courier at her front door, convinced she was following official instructions.
Troy police launched an investigation after the cash pickup and are warning that this kind of scheme, where scammers spoof bank phone numbers and then send people to collect money in person, is becoming more common.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Troy police took the report on July 8. The caller falsely claimed that someone had received a $12,000 cashier’s check from the victim’s account, then persuaded her to withdraw funds and turn them over to a courier who came to her home, the paper reported.
"The investigation remains active," Sgt. John Julian told the Detroit Free Press last Friday. Police have not announced any arrests and have not said whether any of the money has been recovered.
A national crackdown and rising losses
Fraud experts say the Troy case fits a larger national pattern. The Federal Trade Commission reports that people said they lost about $3.5 billion to imposter scams in 2025, with bank impersonation among the most expensive types.
The Federal Communications Commission has also taken aim at the phone side of the problem, proposing a $4.5 million forfeiture against a carrier it says allowed tens of thousands of bank-impersonation calls to pass through its network as a gateway provider.
State officials warn about spoofed numbers
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has also been sounding the alarm. Last Thursday, she reissued a consumer alert warning that scammers are using caller-ID spoofing to display legitimate government-agency numbers while demanding payment through Bitcoin or prepaid gift cards.
The Michigan Attorney General reminds residents that government agencies do not demand immediate payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency and urges anyone who gets such a call to hang up and verify directly with the agency using an official number.
How to protect yourself
If someone calls claiming to be from your bank’s fraud department, hang up and call your bank back using the number on the back of your card or on your statement, not a number the caller gives you.
Never hand cash to a courier who shows up at your home because of a phone call. Avoid paying with gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency, which the Federal Trade Commission and state consumer agencies say are among scammers’ favorite tools.
If you think you have been targeted or tricked, contact your bank, file a report with local police, and submit a complaint at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Where to report
If you have already lost money, contact the Troy Police Department and your bank’s fraud unit right away. The Michigan Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team also accepts complaints and offers guidance for victims.
Consumer alert and reporting details for scam victims are available on the state website through the Michigan Attorney General.
