SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A Scottsdale nurse is still figuring out how to pay her bills after she was scammed out of $3,406 three months ago.
Regina Smith used what she thought was Cash App, a popular mobile payment service, to direct deposit her paycheck.
"With Cash App you don't have to have a bank to get your stuff direct deposit like your checks and different things you want to have paid."
She'd been using Cash App for a while without any issues, but recently got a new phone.
"I didn't know how to connect my account to my new phone, so my son and I looked it up and saw a website for Cash App," Smith explained.
The logo, the color scheme, even the phone number appeared to be the same on the faux website they clicked on, but it wasn't!
She noticed that the website said Cash App Incorporated only after the crooks took her cash.
"It said Cash App in real big letters and Inc. in little letters."
She scrolled down to the phone number on the bogus website, and lo and behold, it’s the digits to the real deal Cash App customer service line.
But, once you click on the number, a different phone number pops up and starts dialing, leading you to an imposter customer service representative.
Smith said she gave the rep some information like her account number, but nothing major like her social security.
"I said how can I get my money today? And he tried to explain to me this is what you’re going to do to get it today, you're going to get it today."
Next thing she knew, the $3,406 dollars she was trying to deposit was transferring to a random Wells Fargo account
"I don’t have a Wells Fargo account! How’s it linking to my bank, I don’t have a bank!" she exclaimed.
Team 12's Jess Winters tried calling the imposters, but the line is now disconnected.
Smith also exchanged countless messages with Cash App, the legitimate company. Representatives repeatedly told her they couldn't stop or reverse the unauthorized transaction.
"This is all in the same one day, within an hour I noticed the scam and they still said they couldn't stop it even though it still said pending."
Though she blames the scammers, she believes Cash App should also take responsibility.
"I think Cash App is at fault because if I ask you to stop the transaction, if it's my money, my account, then you stop the transaction."
Smith said she's thinking about getting a lawyer. In the meantime this is her warning to others:
"My thing is please, please look at the little lines and please ask {customer service} questions, because if you call {the real} Cash App they won't say you need a third party."
12 News reached out to Cash App. A spokesperson said the company monitors Google and reports fraud and scams to the platform as they find them.
You can also report any scams you see or experience in the app.
Click here for resources on how to spot a scam.
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