TANGIPAHOA PARISH — A Tangipahoa family is reeling after their bank account was emptied in minutes by scammers posing as their bank. Now, they’re warning others to stay vigilant to avoid becoming victims themselves.
UWK spoke with one of the victims, who asked that her family remain anonymous.
On Thursday, Aug. 28, her partner received a call on his way home from work from a Baton Rouge-area phone number. The caller claimed to be from Hancock Whitney’s Fraud Prevention Department and told him his card had suspicious transactions in another state, the woman told UWK.
The scammer said two transactions were made by someone named “Kimberly”: One on Amazon for $600 and another on eBay for $800. When her partner explained that no one by that name was on the account, the caller said he needed the last four digits of his card number to deny the charges.
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“He was on his way home from work and they happened to catch him off guard, and he gave them the last four digits of his card number,” the woman said.
After giving the last four digits of his card number, he received a text message with an access code, which he then provided to the caller. The scammer also asked for his partner’s card number, and that’s when he became suspicious and ended the call.
He immediately phoned his partner to explain what happened. Within minutes, she checked their account. “They had wiped the account clean,” she told UWK.
It took less than 30 minutes for the scammers to call and drain the family’s funds.
She contacted Hancock Whitney customer service right away. The bank froze the account, canceled their cards, and the couple filed both an incident report and a fraud report. But because her partner willingly provided information, they aren’t sure if they’ll recover their money.
“We have been with Whitney for 8-plus years, and this is the first time we’ve ran into something like this,” the woman said.
The phone number wasn’t suspicious. Google lists it as belonging to a Hancock Whitney branch on Bluebonnet Boulevard.
Scammers can spoof legitimate numbers, so customers should always hang up and call their bank directly to verify it is a legitamate call.
Hancock Whitney later told the couple that the bank never calls customers to request card numbers or access codes. It’s a policy that’s standard across most banks and credit card companies.
The family is urging everyone to stay alert. “Take everything with a grain of salt,” they advised. “We’re very angry and absolutely disgusted at the whole situation. We are sickened by the fact these scammers are preying on hardworking families.”
The next day, the couple went to their local branch and opened a new bank account, but this time, they had no funds to deposit.
They hope sharing their experience will be a warning to others.
“Don’t learn the hard way like we did.”
How to Avoid Phone Banking Scams:
- Never share card numbers, PINs, or access codes by phone.
Legitimate banks will never ask for this information over a call, text, or email. - Hang up and call your bank directly.
Use the number on the back of your card or the bank’s official website, not the one that called you. - Don’t trust caller ID.
Scammers can “spoof” real business numbers to make the call look legitimate. - Enable transaction alerts.
Turn on text or email alerts for account activity so you can spot unauthorized charges quickly. - Set strong passwords and use two-factor authentication.
Protect online banking with unique passwords and security codes. - Pause before acting.
Scammers create urgency to pressure you. Take a moment to think before providing any information. - Report suspicious calls immediately.
Contact your bank’s fraud department if you think you’ve been targeted, even if you didn’t share information.
For more information on ongoing scams or to report a scam, contact the Louisiana Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-351-4889.
You can also report and look up existing scams free with the BBB.
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