KHOU | It looked like a typical text alert from her bank warning her of suspicious charges on her account. The text asked her to reply “yes” or “no” about whether she’d made a charge at Walmart. She replied, “no.” But it was a smishing text from scammers impersonating her bank.

Once she replied, the scammers told her that her bank branch was under investigation and she’d need to move her money to protect her life savings. They even sent a letter on FBI letterhead. They instructed her to make a cash withdrawal at her bank branch, then deposit through the ATM across the street into a new account they’d created for her. And then it disappeared. Her money was gone. Stolen.

“There is such an urgency attached to these scams that people are lured into making quick decisions that result in a lot of money getting stolen,” Erin West, founder of Operation Shamrock, told KHOU.

West says government impersonation scams are among the most effective schemes. Some suggestions to stay safe:

If you receive a fraud alert text message
Contact your bank directly using the phone number on your card or go to the official website instead of responding to the text or clicking on a link.
If someone claims to be with the FBI or another law enforcement agency
Verify the issue yourself by calling the local field office. Search by state on the FBI Field Office list.
If you believe you are being targeted by a scammer on a phone call
Hang up immediately and report it to the FBI.
If you receive an urgent email warning about a financial issue
Go directly to the website from your web browser instead of clicking on anything or replying to the email. Learn more about “phishing” emails that use false information about issues such as bank accounts, unpaid fines, or legal problems.