SAN ANTONIO (WOAI/KABB) — It is not a bad idea to keep a small amount of cash at home, but experts agree your nest egg is safer in a bank or another financial institution.
Air Force veteran Cruzita Barron is having second thoughts about that wisdom after someone hacked into her savings account and stole thousands of dollars.
As a young woman full of ambition, Barron enlisted in the Air Force and was active for eight years. She willingly served the country, saw the world, and made lasting memories while saving the bulk of her earnings.“I didn’t have to pay for rent. I didn’t have to pay for bills,” she says.
Barron chose USAA to store her nest egg for safekeeping. USAA has built a powerful reputation for providing financial services exclusively for military members and their families. Still, under the company’s watch, someone hacked into Barron’s savings account and stole thousands.
A $5,000 transfer was made from her account not once, but twice.
The bank did not tell her the first or second time, nor had the transactions been flagged for suspicious activity. She found out about a week later when her card got declined while she was trying to buy a coffee."I know I have money, not just $100 or $200. I know I have lots of money in there."
So, what happened to her money, and how?
Here is the explanation she says she got from USAA: Someone made two transfers of $5,000 from her account in an account at another bank with her name on it.
Even though Barron says she had nothing to do with it, she felt they did not believe her. She requested the bank to investigate and track the money to prove she was an innocent victim. Still nothing.“I was like what do you mean you can’t guarantee my money back?” She says.
Six weeks after the hack, Barron was not at ease with the direction of the story because her money was still missing. Her mom was equally frustrated.
Making matters worse, the $10,000 transfer put her account in the negative. USAA asked her to produce the $1,500 difference.
Come on now, like how does that make sense? This is stupid honestly, I’m sorry,” Barron says.It is the kind of tale nightmares are made of. Barron couldn’t even access money in her checking account because she says the bank froze both her checking and savings accounts for what they considered suspicious activity. A move that put this apparent victim of bank fraud in an even worse place financially.
Barron turned to WOAI and KABB's Problem Solvers team, which reached out to USAA on her behalf.
While the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) does not cover loss due to fraud or theft, the burning question remained: Can’t the funds be traced to figure out what happened? Had Barron’s case been thoroughly investigated?
“I saved up that money and that money is important to me, and I feel like they’re not trying to find out where that money went and give it back to me,” she says.
The story ends well. After the Problem Solvers reached out, USAA took a deeper dive with a more thorough investigation looking at records and listening to audio calls.
It took only days to resolve, Barron had gotten nowhere for six weeks.
USAA issued a check to Barron for $8,500.
ncG1vNJzZmihlJa1sLrEsKpnm5%2BifK%2Bx1qxmp5mknryvedaoqaWcX5a2s3nFqKmcnV2rsrWx0ZqlrGWjqbytsc1mqpqumaO0tHnRnqqupKRitq95y6iloGWUnsCxwdOeZLChpJ16tr%2FAmmSuppmpsqV50p6pr6GTmsBurdStpqankp65pnnArKqom5mWwaq7zWalnqukYrKos4yipa%2Bdo6m6prrTZp2rmaWZeqe1zZqlnKGRoXq0sdGvoJydo2LAtr%2FPopqip6WoeqKv06KtoqypYrOltcJmmZqmm2KwqbHCpKCnn12orre1zaCqZqGeq7K0wMigmK2hn6M%3D