OKEECHOBEE — If you receive a text message that you’ve been approved for a loan, the chances are high that it’s a scam.
A local man received a text message on Friday, May 26, that allegedly came from Lending Tree, according to the report filed by Deputy Tim Higgins. The text was supposedly from someone by the name of Craig Miller and informed the local man that he was approved for a $10,000 loan. He was then asked to provide some banking information to process the loan.
The man sent a text of his bank account number to the number, and they allegedly told him they would place money into his account at Sun Trust Bank.
The company deposited two checks equaling $1,800 into his account, stated the report. The man had $180 of his own money already in his account, so he withdrew that money, leaving only the money sent to his account.
He was then instructed to send the money back to Craig Miller via Moneygram; the local man did not comply. He said that his grandmother told him it did not sound right, so they came to the sheriff’s office to get it checked out.
The deputy advised the man that he needed to contact Sun Trust Bank and speak to the fraud department about the incident, stated the report. He also informed the man that it looked like a scam because a loan agency would not contact a person via text message.
The deputy also informed the man it would be in his best interest not to accept any further calls from this person or company.