NORFOLK, Va. — The WTKR News 3 Investigative Team continues to look into an ongoing scam where criminals are using victims' phones to steal their banking information. The scam is impacting people throughout Hampton Roads — this time, Old Dominion University students.
Watch related: Scam targeting Navy Federal customers costing victims thousands in Hampton Roads
WTKR found two separate recent cases where ODU students were approached by people in cars on 48th Street in Norfolk in December and February. Both students reported that a car approached them and asked where the closest bank was, then asked to use the student's cell phone.
Both students reported that money was illegally transferred from their bank accounts.
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Gabriel Esquilin, an ODU student, recounted a suspicious incident that happened last year: A car pulled up next to him at 9 p.m. and the occupants asked if he knew where a Navy Federal Credit Union was.
He did not hand over his phone because he felt like the situation seemed questionable.
"On the pure basis of them pulling up next to me in a car at 9 p.m. asking where a Navy Federal was, it was very suspicious," Esquilin says.
Watch related: Don't give your phone to strangers — they may be trying to take your money
ODU Police Chief Garrett Shelton says fraud is a major problem nationwide.
"These individuals are very sophisticated, and they can get into the phone system and Cash App and transfer money in sometimes less than 30 seconds," said Chief Shelton.
In March, the Federal Trade Commission reported that consumers lost more than $12.5 billion to overall fraud in 2024, a 25% increase over the prior year.
"One of the challenges we have is trying to educate the community," Shelton says. "The scams — and the people who are coming up with these scams — are becoming more sophisticated."
Shelton warns that financial crimes can have a significant impact, including the loss of money, damage to credit scores, and the ability to function in daily life.
"It is very traumatic, and it's very expensive to the nation as a whole," Shelton says.
The police chief advises students and the community to protect their banking information, report any suspicious or criminal behavior, and never hand over their phone to a stranger.
