Scammer wipes nearly $10,000 from Brooklyn woman's bank account

The scammer also stole about $2,000 from Goto’s online Venmo account.

Tim Harfmann

Oct 2, 2025, 2:51 AM

Updated 2 hr ago

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A Brooklyn woman is raising awareness after she says a scammer stole nearly $10,000 from her bank account.
Paulette Goto, of Gowanus, said someone claiming to be a representative with JPMorgan Chase called her last month and said someone else was trying to steal from her. That’s when the scammer convinced Goto to transfer everything into a “new, secure account," she said.
“Of course, I had a meltdown immediately,” Goto said.
She said it appeared to be legitimate at first because Chase Bank popped up on her caller ID, and the so-called “rep” gave her a callback number that seemed to work.
“They knew recent charges that I had made on a trip taking my daughter to college,” Goto said. “So, everything they were saying made sense and it was reassuring.”
The scammer also stole about $2,000 from Goto’s online Venmo account.
Thankfully, she got a refund. But she said she is disappointed by what Chase told her.
“What I’m told by Chase is, ‘You made the transaction. There’s nothing we do,'" Goto said.
The 53-year-old mother works two jobs in the baking industry. She said as much as the situation is embarrassing, she wants to warn those who are more vulnerable.
“I’m 53,” Goto said. “I can make it back. I will, but like for anyone that’s older and on a fixed income, there’s no help for them. There’s nothing and they’ve lost everything.”
Goto filed a police report. As of Wednesday night, no arrests have been made.
“You get what you give,” Goto said. “Whatever you put out in this world is going to come back to you. I don’t wish ill on anybody, but taking advantage of people, there’s a special place in hell.”
A Chase official told News 12 that they attempted to recover the funds the same day that Goto reported the scam, but unfortunately, the funds were already depleted.
“These types of scams are heartbreaking. We urge all consumers to ignore phone, text or internet requests to move money or gain access to their computer or bank accounts. Banks and legitimate companies won’t make these requests, but scammers will," a Chase spokesperson wrote in a statement to News 12.
Tips to avoid scams:
  • Do not respond to phone, text or internet requests for money or access to your computer or bank accounts. Banks will never call, text or email asking for you to send money to yourself or anyone else to prevent fraud.
  • If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from your bank, the best thing to do is hang up immediately and call your bank at the number on the back of your debit or credit card.
  • A bank will never call and ask you to verify information about your account, but we may need to verify information when you call us.
  • Consider adding a call protector app to your phone to flag calls that are likely scams. Set up a code word with your close circle and always confirm callers by contacting them back on a phone number you know to be theirs.
  • Chase Credit Journey offers free credit and identity monitoring, including alerts to let you know if your personal information is exposed in a data breach or on the dark web. You don’t have to be a Chase customer to use it.
  • If you feel you've been scammed, contact your bank to discuss how to best protect your banking information and verify recent transactions to ensure no fraudulent activity on your account. Report the incident to the FTC.