A northeast Bexar County resident lost more than $14,000 following a sophisticated bank impersonation scam that involved an Uber driver and fraudulent purchases.
According to reports, the victim, identified as Denise Mumme, received an unexpected phone call from an individual claiming to be with USAA who stated they noticed a large charge on her account. The caller successfully persuaded Mumme to hand over her physical debit card to an Uber driver who was dispatched directly to her home.
The driver subsequently passed the card to 26-year-old Haquilla Watson. Investigators stated that Watson used the card for a spending spree that included ATM cash withdrawals, money orders, and purchases at an Apple Store.
Surveillance footage captured the driver meeting Watson outside a Crumbl Cookies location and later recorded Watson carrying out the fraudulent transactions around town. Mumme noticed the missing funds two days later and reported the incident to authorities, who utilized the video evidence to crack the case.
Sheriff's investigators have arrested Watson on charges of credit or debit card abuse and fraudulent use of identifying information. Following the incident, which occurred in June, Mumme has urged others to always verify bank calls by using official contact numbers rather than relying on numbers provided by incoming callers.
