Callers posing as bank employees, warning of illegitimate Zelle transfers in new scheme. Here's how to stay safe.

A new scheme to trick people out of their money is making the rounds, and people in the Tri-State Area have fallen victim, including a Brooklyn mom who says she lost over $10,000.

Here's how it works, red flags to look for and what to do to stay safe.

Caller mimics bank in new scheme

It starts with a call that may look legitimate. When a CBS News New York producer received one of these calls, the caller ID displayed as "JPMorgan Chase."

Posing as a bank employee, the caller claimed someone was trying to send money out of the producer's account via Zelle.  

The producer asked if he could walk into a Chase branch and ask for confirmation of this information.

"You can definitely walk into a branch, but once you do hang up, those funds will be delivered," the caller said.

The caller provided the producer with a confirmation code and said the transfer could be reversed by sending money via Zelle to an account the caller directed.

If the producer had sent the money, it would be gone.

What makes the call seem legit

Dr. Justin Cappos, a professor at New York University Tandon, says it's an old scheme with a new twist.

"It no longer sounds like someone from an overseas call center," he said.

Wendy Velazquez, with Chase, says artificial intelligence is making these schemes seem more legit.

"They're able to replicate our voices," she said.

Adding to the appearance of legitimacy, the caller mimics the bank by saying you're on a recorded line, transferring you to a supervisor and providing a physical address.  

"They're really just trying to more accurately match the way that real call centers do things," Cappos said. "But real call centers don't just call you out of the blue and say, hey, you need to do something on the phone with us right now."

What gives it away and how to stay safe

Cappos and Velazquez both say the giveaway that the call is a fake is pressure.

"Like, you need to make a decision now," Cappos said.  

"Any financial institution or government agency will not apply pressure," Velazquez said.

Zelle and other platforms urge customers to only send money to those you know and trust, and anyone who receives a call like this should hang up.

Instead, look for a phone number on the back of your debit or credit card and call that number.