Texas Teacher Alleges He Lost His 'Entire Life Savings' in 'Sophisticated' Banking Scam

A Texas teacher has been left to rebuild his life financially after he says a scam involving someone claiming to be from his bank drained his life savings.

Russell Leahy, 28, spoke exclusively to WFAA in an interview published Monday, June 16, and alleged individuals impersonating representatives of Chase Bank contacted him by phone, claiming there was fraudulent activity with his account. 

Believing his bank account was compromised, the teacher, who said he recently got married and never went out on weekends or traveled in order to save money, moved $32,000 to what he thought was a new, secure account. 

“I couldn’t even believe how sophisticated it was,” Leahy said.

Leahy told the news station that the scammers even texted him and sent bank statements that appeared to be legit. 

Once Leahy realized what had happened, he contacted his bank.

“It’s been extremely violating,” he said. “I’ve never had a situation like this where my personal identity, money and well-being have been at the forefront of being taken advantage of,” he added.

Chase returned $2,000 of his money, but was unable to assist with the remaining $30,000 because Leahy wasn’t covered by fraud protection.

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PEOPLE reached out to Chase for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

In a statement to WFAA, the bank said, “Fraud on a bank account involves someone illegally accessing someone else’s account and making withdrawals, transfers, or purchases without the account holder’s permission.”

According to the news station, Chase defines a scam as “a deceptive scheme or trick used to cheat someone out of their money or other valuable assets. Scammers often use false promises, misleading information, or deceptive activities to manipulate victims into giving up something of value. Scams can take many forms, including counterfeit or non-existent products sold on social media marketplaces, phishing emails, fake websites, spoofed Caller IDs on mobile phones, fake profiles on dating sites, fake jobs on job boards, among others.”

“It was my entire life savings,” Leahy said. 

He added, “I had literally never felt like the wind had been taken out of my sails before. I’d never really felt like I was gonna pass out before, but it really felt like the end of the world for me.”

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However, the newlywed hopes that even if his money is never returned, his misfortune can serve as a warning for others. 

“I’d rather me be the sacrificial lamb for the rest of these people and maybe save other people’s money from being stolen,” he said. “I’m really hoping to look ahead and move on with my life and not have to start over from scratch.”

“I just hope it doesn’t end the way that this did,” Leahy said.

According to Chase’s official website, knowing tricks that scammers use can help you to stay one step ahead. The company also shares additional tips and resources, such as what to do if you believe you’ve been a victim of fraud or identity theft.