Denver police release warning after resident targeted by bank imposter scam

The Denver Police Department is warning residents to be aware of a scam in which suspects call, claiming to be from the victim's bank.

According to DPD, a resident received a call from a suspect posing as a bank employee on Jan. 30. The caller reportedly told the victim that her sister had withdrawn $9,000 from her account and that the victim needed to act "right now" to prevent further fraud.

Police said the scammer arranged a rideshare to a bank branch for the woman. They stayed on the phone with her, asked her to withdraw $9,000, then asked her to place the cash in a box for a "courier" to pick up and verify the serial numbers, said the DPD. The suspect also allegedly asked the woman to withdraw another $1,000 and deposit it into a Bitcoin ATM.

Authorities said a second suspect later told the woman to share her bank routing number during a screen-share session.

The police department reminded residents that banks will never ask them to withdraw cash or send money to verify account activity, and that they should never share their banking information over the phone or via screen-sharing apps. They added that no one should deposit money into cryptocurrency ATMs at someone else's direction.

The DPD warned that scammers try to create a sense of panic by making requests seem urgent or by using emotional pressure. If someone receives a suspicious call, police said the person should hang up and contact their bank directly using the official phone number. Anyone targeted by a scam is encouraged to report it to the police and their financial institution right away.