Online Bank Scam

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Story Published: Jul 2, 2008 at 5:41 PM PST

By Robin Woodson

YAKIMA -- "Made me a little nervous, because I was afraid they were going to do it again," Scam Victim, Kristin Gibbs, said.

Gibbs says she was surprised when she discovered she was a victim of an online scam.

"Found that it was to an ESAFE card company for a minor amount, $19.85," Gibbs explained.

A minor amount for Kristin, but a major crime.

She says somehow thieves got a hold of her old address, and from there, tapped into her bank account.

"There was a bogus, funny-looking check on there, an electronic check," Gibbs said.

Kristin says the debit came from a legitimate company, but it wasn't something she bought.

And when she searched the company online she found more.

"This guy also had $19.85 stolen, which was exactly my amount, so obviously, they have a particular amount they're working with to try and rip folks off," Gibbs said.

A blog from others across the country, hit by the same scam.

They may check it to see if you're watching and then come back for more cash.

Even though Kristin got her money back, she says she's learned a lesson for the whole town.

"You don't know if they're going to hit something next, they could be checking to see if you are aware of it or you're just going to let it go," Gibbs added.

Yakima Police tells Action News, every year internet crimes go up 40 percent.

They say they try to track them as far as they can, but internet crimes are not always easy catch.

Since getting hit, Kristin says she keeps a close eye on her account, and she also has a separate card she uses just for shopping online.

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