A woman is facing charges for allegedly impersonating a Wells Fargo employee to defraud two customers in Houston of over $30,000. This case is part of an ongoing investigation into a scam that has targeted Wells Fargo clients for more than a year.
Jacquelina Trana Chambliss, 24, has been charged in Harris County with credit card abuse and fraudulent use or possession of credit card or debit card information. She is also facing similar charges in Brazoria County.
The victims, Sharon Schoolcraft and Scott Merovitch, shared their experiences of losing significant sums of money due to this scam. Both received phone calls that seemed to originate from Wells Fargo, alerting them to fraudulent activity on their accounts. The caller even referenced legitimate transactions, which instilled confidence in the victims.
A woman later visited their homes, claiming to be a Wells Fargo representative. She cut up their debit cards and placed them in an envelope. Shortly thereafter, Merovitch reported a loss of approximately $20,669, while Schoolcraft lost around $13,912. Fortunately, Wells Fargo later reversed the charges and refunded their money.
The investigation conducted by the Houston Police Department’s Major Offenders Division revealed that the unauthorized transactions took place at grocery stores. Merovitch’s funds were used to purchase money orders, while Schoolcraft’s account was exploited for money orders and an ATM withdrawal. Through facial recognition analysis of security footage, investigators identified Chambliss as the suspect. She had previously been arrested in Brazoria County for similar impersonation charges.
Both Merovitch and Schoolcraft identified Chambliss as the woman who had visited their homes.
To help the public avoid falling victim to similar scams, Wells Fargo has issued several safety tips:
- Wells Fargo will never ask for your physical card or PIN to prevent fraud. If someone requests this, it is likely a scam.
- Be cautious of pressure tactics from scammers that encourage immediate action without time to think or verify.
- Do not trust caller ID, as scammers can spoof legitimate numbers.
- Be wary of requests for sensitive personal information or payments to stop fraudulent transactions or to receive refunds.
- Always hang up and contact your bank directly if you receive suspicious calls.
- Never provide personal information such as one-time passcodes or passwords over the phone.
- If you feel uncomfortable with a request made via phone or text, do not respond and instead contact the company through official channels.
The details of Chambliss’s charges stem from police investigations and court documents from Harris and Brazoria counties.
