Former California News Anchor Loses More than $70,000 USD From her Robinhood Account in Scam

 A former Fresno news anchor loses $72,000 USD after a scammer tricks her into thinking her investment account was at risk after walking her through how to move her money out of her investment account.

Former news anchor Alex Delgado; credit KSEE

Former Broadcaster Falls Victim to Growing Text Message Scam

Text message scams—often called "smishing" attacks—continue to evolve, and even experienced professionals are finding themselves targeted. A recent case involving a former Fresno television news anchor serves as another reminder that scammers are becoming increasingly convincing in their attempts to steal money and personal information.

According to reports, the former news anchor Alex Delgado lost $72,000 USD after receiving what appeared to be a legitimate text message connected to an investment account. What began as a seemingly routine security notification quickly turned into an elaborate social engineering scheme that convinced the victim to trust the criminals behind the messages.

Unfortunately, this type of fraud is becoming more common as cybercriminals impersonate banks, brokerage firms, government agencies, and major technology companies.

How the Scam Worked

Scammers increasingly rely on psychology instead of technology.

Rather than hacking accounts directly, they create a sense of urgency that pressures victims into making quick decisions before they have time to verify what is happening.

In this case, the victim reportedly received a text message that appeared to come from a trusted financial institution. Concerned that someone may have accessed the account, the victim followed the instructions provided and ultimately communicated with individuals pretending to represent customer support. Those conversations allegedly resulted in the transfer of a net total of $72,000 before the fraud was discovered.

Criminals often spoof phone numbers, create realistic-looking websites, and use language that closely resembles official communications from legitimate companies.

Why Smart People Still Get Scammed

One of the biggest misconceptions about scams is that only inexperienced internet users become victims.

The reality is much different.

Modern scammers spend significant time researching human behavior. They understand that fear, urgency, and trust are powerful emotional triggers. When someone believes their investments, retirement savings, or bank account are in immediate danger, they may act quickly without independently verifying the request.

Former journalists, financial professionals, business owners, retirees, and technology experts have all fallen victim to similar schemes.

Scammers don't necessarily target people who lack knowledge—they target moments of distraction, stress, or concern.

Warning Signs of a Text Message Scam

Consumers should be cautious if they receive a text message that:

• Claims there is suspicious activity on an account.
• Urges immediate action.
• Includes a phone number to call instead of directing users to the company's official website.
• Requests passwords, security codes, or authentication information.
• Asks users to move money to a "safe" account.
• Creates pressure by warning that accounts will be frozen or closed.

Legitimate financial institutions generally encourage customers to contact them using official phone numbers listed on their website or on the back of their debit or credit cards—not numbers provided in unexpected text messages.

How to Protect Yourself

The good news is that many text scams can be avoided by following a few simple security practices.

First, never click links or call phone numbers contained in unexpected text messages involving financial accounts.

Instead, open your banking or investment app directly or visit the company's website by typing the address into your browser yourself.

Second, verify any suspicious communication by calling the institution using the official customer service number.

Third, enable multi-factor authentication on every financial account whenever possible.

Finally, remember that legitimate companies will never ask customers to transfer money to protect it from fraud. If someone instructs you to move funds into another account for "security reasons," that is one of the strongest warning signs that you're dealing with a scammer.

The Bottom Line

The reported loss of $72,000 by a former television news anchor, Alex Delgado, demonstrates just how sophisticated today's text message scams have become. These criminals are no longer relying on poorly written emails filled with spelling mistakes. Instead, they use convincing messages, impersonate trusted companies, and exploit fear to manipulate victims into making costly decisions.

As financial fraud continues to evolve, the best defense remains slowing down before taking action. Verify every unexpected communication independently, never rely solely on information provided in a text message, and remember that a few extra minutes of caution could prevent the loss of thousands of dollars.

Florida Man Almost Falls for Fake Microsoft Scam and Warns Others to Not Fall Victim

A North Fort Myers Florida man almost fell victim to a fake Microsoft scam, and shares his experience with WINK News. Find out the alarming scare tactics that scammers are using to scare innocent victims into handing over their money.

Steve Seifert; credit: WINK News

WINK News reporter Ryan Kruger reported that Florida residents lost about 1.5 billion dollars to online scams in 2025, according to the FBI. Cyber crooks are using fake and malicious websites and pop-ups to fool victims into thinking they have committed a crime before asking for money.

Ryan Kruger reported that 3,000 people fell victim to scams every day in the U.S. in 2025, with Florida having the 3rd highest losses after (#2) Texas and (#1) California.

A Florida Man Receives a Pop-up Warning on his Computer

Local Fort Myers resident Steve Seifert told WINK News that he was online when he suddenly received a pop-up on his computer, with a warning that got his attention.

The fake Microsoft warning read:

"Microsoft has observed an illegal function on your computer. Call Microsoft Help to get it taken care of" with a phone number that would seemingly connect Seifert to Microsoft technical support.

Once on the phone, Seifert said that the scammer at the phone number informed him that "his credit cards had been used to try to buy illegal material online and that he also tried to place bets." 

Seifert was concerned about the allegations, so he was listening carefully to what the person was telling him. He continued to listen to the scammer until the person switched topics and started to ask him about his bank account information. At that point, Seifert realized that he was dealing with a scammer, and at that point, he hung up the phone. 

First, Steve Siefert tried to contact the FBI, but could not reach them.

Steve then calls WINK News to report what had happened so others can be aware of the scare tactics scammers are using. He also shared with WINK News reporter Ryan Kruger that one of his neighbors lost more than $2,000 to the same type of scam.

Seifert says, "I know better, and they almost caught me."

Ryan Kruger reminds the public that if anyone calls you claiming to be from the government or a financial institution, get off the phone, look up the legitimate number for the institution, and call the trusted number to make sure you aren't talking to a scammer.

YouTube Video: "North Fort Myers man nearly fell victim to growing scam flagged by FBI"

Source: WINK News

Comment on YouTube Video

User @ShamegaJ wrote the following comments in response to the WINK News video:

"These are criminals targeting people. Sometimes, they have lists of vulnerable people, scripts of what to say, and surveillance equipment to make this scam seem real. They are gangstalkers who are organized. They use these tactics to get money and status."

California Nurse Lost $1,000 to Zelle Scammer, but Wells Fargo Refunded Her About 4 Months Later

A nurse from California was tricked into sending $1000 to a scammer posing as a Wells Fargo representative. The scam involved a compromised bank account and a request to send money through Zelle to "fix" the error on her "hacked" account. 

Wells Fargo; credit: by Mike Mozart, CC BY DEED 2.0

TIME reported that 33-year-old Venessa Dikousman from Ceres, California was called by a man claiming to be from Wells Fargo to notify her that her bank account was being hacked. The man calling her cell phone was a scammer.

The number he called her from was the same as Wells Fargo's number, so it looked legitimate. The scammer was spoofing Wells Fargo to trick her into thinking he was a real employee.

Wells Fargo Scammer: 'You've Been Hacked. Send Money Using Zelle'

The man told her to fix the situation, she would need to "send $3,500 through Zelle to fix the breach."

Dikousman sent $1000 USD to the scammer and then realized that she was being scammed.

Dikousman reported the scam to Wells Fargo, and TIME reported that Wells Fargo "initially refused to refund the $1000 taken out of her account."

Financial institutions are not obligated to refund customers if they actually send their own money out to scammers, because this would not technically be "unauthorized."

It was about four months later that TIME contacted Wells Fargo to find out if they were going to refund her money. At that time, Wells Fargo decided to refund Dikousman the $1000.

Do You Think Wells Fargo Should Have Refunded Her Money Sooner?

Some people might wonder if Wells Fargo was going to refund her money if TIME had not contacted them.

What do you think? (Share your thoughts in the comments)

Colorado Woman Sees Error on Computer Telling Her the Computer was Hacked. She Calls Number and Loses $37K

A woman from Westminster is alerted by warning messages on her computer that "her IP address has been hacked." It tells her to call a number and she is greeted by a person claiming to be from "Microsoft headquarters," who conspires to steal $37K from her in an "imposter scam."

photo credit: Microsoft logo (stock photo)Photo byMike Mozart; CC BY 2.0 DEED

According to the FTC data on the Consumer Sentinel Network, Americans lost more than $2.7 billion in "imposter scams" in 2023. These are scams where an unsuspecting person is duped by a scammer posing as an official or representative of a company.

A Colorado woman shared her recent experience with a scammer to try and warn others before it's too late.

Westminster Colorado Woman Believes 'Imposter Scammer'

KUSA 9News reported on Thursday that Diana Peltier from Westminster, Colorado received a troubling message on her computer, warning her that her "IP address had been hacked." The warning alert provided a phone number for her to call and looked very similar to the image on the screen below.

photo credit: Windows messagePhoto byKUSA 9News

She trusted the information on the screen and called the phone number where she was greeted by a man claiming to be from Microsoft headquarters, who sounded "calm and assuring," who told her "they were going to take care of her. They are going to be certain that I'm going to be OK."

The scammer told her to click on a link, which downloaded remote software onto her computer, which allowed him to take "complete control" over her computer.

That's when he told Peltier that he could "see her accounts were being hacked." He then offered to connect her to her bank's fraud department.

Peltier Was Transferred to 'Bank Fraud Department'

Peltier was transferred to a woman named "Allison with US Bank" who was soft-spoken and calming her down, telling her to "breathe," while continuing to emphasize her accounts were hacked.

Peltier was then instructed to go to her bank and withdraw her money from her "hacked" bank account and to deposit it into a "safe place" and the safest nearby place to deposit her money was the nearest Bitcoin ATM at a liquor store.

That's where Peltier deposited the $37,000 she removed from her bank account, just as she had been coached to do by scammers.

photo credit: Diana PeltierPhoto byKUSA 9News

She said:

"Within four hours, it was all over with. It was all gone." -Diane Peltier, Colorado scam victim

In hindsight she regrets it.

She said:

"I should have hung up with everybody. I should have unplugged the computer. I wasn't thinking right. I wasn't thinking right. I wasn't thinking clearly." -Diane Peltier, Colorado scam victim

Now, it is unlikely Peltier will ever see her money lost in this scam.

Always remember: Banks and officials will never ask for payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency.

Help protect friends and family by liking and sharing this article with others so they can be informed about this type of scam.

Sources

Federal Trade Commission: Consumer Sentinel Network.

Iacurci, Greg. "How to avoid the top scam of 2023: The internet has ‘really supercharged’ it, expert says." CNBC. 15 February 2024.

Staegar, Steve and Anna Hewson. "Colorado woman loses $37,000 in phantom hacker scam." KUSA 9News. 7 March 2024.

Hacker Takes Control of a Man's TV & Puts a QR Code on the Screen. The Man Scans it and Loses Thousands of Dollars.

 A Florida policeman who recently had surgeries after being hit takes a financial blow when a hacker puts a QR code on his TV. He scans it and it directs him to call a phone number, connecting him with scammers ready to steal his money.

Rafael Cubela; credit: 7 News

Florida Policeman Hacked After Scanning a QR Code on His TV

7 News reported that a policeman who drives a motorcycle is recovering from a vehicle colliding into him, and something else happened.

As he was recovering, he was watching a movie on Amazon Prime when a QR code came on his TV screen. He scanned the code and it directed him to call a phone number.

After he called the number, they informed him that they were employees of Amazon. The representative could tell him personal information, all found on his smartphone.

Rafael said:

 “He knew my Social Security, the last four numbers, he knew the banks that I used, that were on my phone.”

After the scammer said he fixed the problem, Rafael noticed that his smartphone was displaying strange notifications. 

After all of this, Rafael also noticed that he opened up an app and saw a large amount of money from one of his accounts.

Sure enough, the scammers had stolen $5,000 from Rafael's bank account.

He contacted his bank, and the bank refused to return the money.

Rafael said:

“For them to say that they’re not going to be held responsible for this, to me, it’s sad.”

Now he will take it to small claims court after he recovers from his surgery. 

Always be aware that scanning a QR code can allow hackers to gain access to your phone and personal information.

$6,800 Taken from California Woman's Wells Fargo Bank Account Days After Receiving Fraudulent Phone Call

 In August 2023, Nadwa Perket received a phone call claiming to be from Wells Fargo. Days later, $6,800 was taken from her bank account and sent to Florida.

Wells Fargo bank (stock photo) by Mike Mozart; CC BY 2.0 DEED

A woman in her 60s from San Diego lost $6,800 from her Wells Fargo bank account after being tricked by a scammer who pretended to be a Wells Fargo bank employee. Nadwa Perket said she felt betrayed by the bank, which refused to reimburse her money.

California Woman Receives Scam Call and Loses Money from Bank Account

The U.S. Sun reported that Nadwa Perket from San Diego received a phone call in August 2023 from a man who claimed to be from the Wells Fargo fraud team. He told her that someone had tried to wire money to an account in Florida and that he needed to add extra security layers to her bank account.

Perket said the caller sounded very professional and convincing. She did not give him her password or username, but she did provide him with some personal information and a one-time access code that he requested.

A few days later, she got a notification on her phone that her account balance was low. She checked her account and found out that $6,800 had been withdrawn from her account.

Perket contacted Wells Fargo and reported the fraud, but the bank told her that "she had authorized the transaction" and that they would not refund her money. She said she was "shocked and angry that the bank did not protect her as a client."

She said:

"It didn't look fishy to them." -Nadwa Perket

She said she then had to borrow money just to pay her rent and that she felt like the bank did not care about her. 

Questions for the Readers

Now it is time for the reader to share your thoughts in the comments.

• Do you think that commercial banks care about their customers?
• Do you think they will take care of customers that are victims of fraud?
• Have you ever seen fraudulent charges on your debit or credit card?

Texas Man Loses $49K in a Banking Scam. His Account was at Chase Bank

A Texas man received a call from a person claiming to be from Chase Bank and informing him that his account had been compromised and the only way to protect his funds was to transfer them to a "safe" account to protect his money.

Chase bank (stock image)

Texas Man Fell For a Scam Losing $49K at Chase Bank

CBS19 News reported that in December 2022, a Texas man named Angel Pineda received a fraudulent phone call, but said they were calling from Chase Bank, and that his bank amount with $49,000 had been compromised.

Angel Pineda; credit: CBS19 News

After the individual informed him that his account had been compromised and that he urgently needed to transfer his funds to a "safe" account in order to protect them. This is not standard operating procedure for a bank. That's because he was on the phone with a scammer.

The phone call didn't surprise Angel because he was used to getting fraud alerts from his bank, like when he made his regular car payment. 

He said:

"They were just like your account is not safe, it's compromised," said Pineda. "So we need to make sure your money’s secure and move it to a new account." -Angel Pineda, Chase customer

Feeling nervous and confused, Angel followed the instructions of the caller and transferred the funds to the account provided. It was only later that she realized she had fallen victim to a scam and that he had lost most of his savings because he trusted the scammer.

The scammer even asked for personal information over the phone to create a new Chase Bank account and he complied. 

"So there wasn't any reason for me to suspect anything," said Pineda. "Then I got the notification for fraudulent activity for a small amount and I was like no it's not me." -Angel Pineda, Chase customer

Angel says he finally got a call back from a legitimate Chase Bank associate who plans to review his case and call him up with an update. 

It is important to always monitor your bank account and statements for fraud activity. If possible, use two-factor authentication to log into financial accounts.

Florida Man 'Watched $27,000 Go Missing' From His Bank of America Account & His Bank Denied His Claim at First

A Florida man noticed that $27,000 was missing from his Bank of America account. He called his bank to file a claim and they denied his claim because they claimed there wasn't fraud after detecting "a device that was known to use bill pay."

Bank of America sign; credit: Mike Mozart CC BY 2.0 DEED

Bank of America Customer Loses $27K in Online Banking Bill Pay

In 2022, a chain of events led Luca Bencini to discover that $27,000 was missing from the bank account he had with Bank of America.

An email he received from Bank of America asked, "Did you open up a bill-pay to an unknown American Express card?"

This email prompted him to look into his finances with Bank of America.

That's when he logged in to discover a whole lot of cash was in fact missing.

He said:

“I went to my account, I saw that $27,000 was drawn to that American Express card. At that point, I immediately called the Bank of America for fraud, and that's where the whole thing started." -Luca Bencini, Bank of America customer

Bank of America Denies Fraud Claim Before the News Got Involved

He called his bank to file a fraud claim and they denied him a refund because they claimed his bill pay was accessed by a device that was "known to use bill pay" and deemed him liable for the money leaving his account.

Bencini then decided to contact the Broward County Sheriff's Office and WTJV 6 News. He was hoping that detectives could tell him if his bank account with Bank of America had been hacked.

Bencini said:

“But it wasn't my laptop nor my PC. Both of them were shut down while I was traveling, and nobody came into the house." -Luca Bencini, Bank of America customer

WTJV 6 News contacted Bank of America to ask about the situation, and then Bank of America executives decided to call Bencini and inform him they had a change of heart on the matter. They informed him that "they had decided to return the money or refund the money."

Did Bank of America only refund the money because they would receive negative publicity if they didn't choose to do the right thing?

Hindsight is 20-20

Luce Bencini noticed that he received a lot of spam emails flooding his inbox around the time that he received an email from Bank of America, which is a commonly used tactic called "email bombing."

Always pay attention to the fraud emails you receive from your bank, and identify the emails that are a form of phishing.

Always contact your bank at the trusted phone number and website, and never by the phone number or URL provided in the email.

Atlanta Man Claims That $14K Was Stolen from His Account, Paid to Mercedez Benz. Wells Fargo Denies Claim & Won't Issue a Refund

What happens when there is a fraud purchase on your account and a large sum of money leaves your bank account and when you dispute it the bank says it was authorized? 

This happened to a Georgia family banking with Wells Fargo. 

Mercedes-Benz car; credit: Jakob Rosen on Unsplash

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Georgia was ranked as "the worst state for fraud" in Q3 2023. 

WSB-TV Channel 2 reported that Ken Pischke filed a dispute with Wells Fargo after $14K was paid to a Mercedez Benz Financial Services account, claiming his family didn't authorize payments to Mercedes Benz and they don't own a Mercedes Benz.

Wells Fargo Denies Fraud Claim and Closes Bank Account

Wells Fargo contends that there were three transfers from Pischke’s bill pay to someone’s Mercedes Benz Financial Services account. They have denied his claim of fraud, and have closed his accounts.

Wells Fargo wrote in a denial letter to Pischke:

“It was determined the transactions were authorized by you or someone you authorized. We have closed your claim.” -Wells Fargo

As a result, Pischke filed a police report, provided paperwork to Wells Fargo, and contacted Mercedes Benz to no avail. Wells Fargo is not convinced that these were fraudulent transactions. They believe that Pischke's wife is guilty of authorizing these transactions.

Pischke has lost almost $14,000 due to fraud and it's not a small amount of money to him.

“It was a total of about almost $14,000. We were shocked, absolutely shocked. So, they closed down all the accounts...I mean, it’s a large sum of money, I think to anybody, it is to me.  They just blow it off like there’s no big deal.” -Ken Pischke

Wells Fargo holds their position and will not budge on the matter.

Pischke said:

“They said, ‘That doesn’t make any difference. It’s still your wife is the one that actually did the transactions.’ Now, I’ve been married for 42 years. I would know if my wife would do something like that. And she doesn’t have a Mercedes in the garage either or anywhere else.” -Ken Pischke

Wells Fargo gave the following statement to WSB-TV Channel 2 News in response to their inquiry on the matter.

“While we can’t discuss the specifics of this customer’s situation for privacy and confidentiality reasons, we can confirm that we thoroughly researched the matter, and the evidence supports our decision.” -Wells Fargo

Questions for the Reader

Do you think it is unfair that Wells Fargo will not issue a refund?

Do you think that Ken Pischke's wife paid Mercedes Benz Financial Services without telling her husband?

Ken Pischke has lost almost $14,000 and says their family doesn't have a Mercedes Benz. He believes it is a case of bank account fraud. Wells Fargo will not issue a refund.

Connecticut Man 'Finds' $5,000 Cash in Bag in the Bank Parking Lot and Keeps it. He Gets in Trouble Three Months Later

A man from Trumbull, Connecticut comes across nearly $5,000 in a bag lying in a parking lot and decides to keep it. Three months later he is charged with a crime for keeping it and not turning it in to the bank or authorities, maintaining he did nothing wrong.

by White Field Photo on Unsplash

Connecticut Man Finds Cash with Documents in a Bag & Keeps it

WMC Action News 5 reported that 56-year-old Robert Withington found a bag filled with nearly $5,000 in cash around 9:30 a.m. on 30 May 2023, and kept it thinking that he had incredibly good luck on that day.

Trumbull Police say the bag containing the cash was "clearly marked with the bank's insignia" and found outside of the bank branch on Quality Street. The cash belonged to the Trumbull Tax Collector's office, which was also inside the bag of cash.

Hearst Connecticut Media reported that Robert Withington maintains his innocence and continues to say he "didn't steal the money."

He said:

"I walked out onto the parking lot, saw something on the ground and there was no one around so I picked it up," he said. "It’s not like I stole something. It’s not like this was planned out. Everything was in the moment and it was like I hit the lottery. That was it.” -Robert Withington, Trumbull resident

Trumbull City Employee Reported the Missing Money

WMC Action News 5 reported the Trumbull City employee from the tax collector's office reported the missing bag of cash on 30 May 2023.

A full investigation began and detectives "obtained search warrants, reviewed multiple surveillance videos from local businesses, and conducted numerous interviews before learning the bag had been inadvertently dropped on the ground outside of the bank [where] Withington had picked it up."

Three months after Withington picked up the bag of cash, he has been charged with third-degree larceny. He willingly turned himself in on 25 August 2023 and awaits a court date on Tuesday, 5 September 2023.

Robert Withington points out that he has no history of crime in Trumbull, CT.

He said:

“I have never had a criminal record in my whole life. This is like a crock of baloney. I found money and now it’s probably going to cost me money.” -Robert Withington, Trumbull resident

He continued:

“I just took the cash and called it a day. I don’t even know whose it was because I didn’t look. All I saw was cash,” he said. “If I knew I was wrong in the first place, I would have given it right back. I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong.” -Robert Withington, Trumbull resident

Thoughts

Here are some questions for the reader:

• Do you think Robert Withington has a right to keep the money he found without penalty?
• Should he be allowed to pay the money back without being charged with a crime?
• Would you have kept the money or turned it in?

(Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments)

Please like and share this article on social media so others can be informed about this story.

Sources

Action 5 News profile page on Facebook.

An Evening of Reflection. "A Connecticut Man Found $5,000 In A Bag, 3 Months Later He Was Arrested For Not Turning It In." An Evening of Reflection - News Commentary Podcast. 30 August 2023.

The Associated Press. "Man arrested months after finding a bag full of $5,000 in cash in a parking lot." WMC Action News 5. 30 August 2023.

Holmes-Brown, Shaniece. "Trumbull man charged after finding $5K outside bank says he ‘just took the cash and called it a day’." Hearst Connecticut Media. 28 August 2023.