Matt Gutman has spent his career reporting on other people's frightening moments, but this time, he found himself living through one of his own.
The veteran CBS News correspondent shared in a video posted Friday, June 10, to his X account that he came dangerously close to walking into his bank and withdrawing everything he had, all because of a phone call he later described as almost impossible to catch.
Guttman Recalls The 'Call' That Seemed Completely Legitimate
How NOT to fall for a "bank impersonation scam." Three quick tips that could save your bank account and at the very least, a lot of time. Read didn't lose money yesterday when I was the target of a sophisticated and very patient scammer but I lost time and it cost me a lot of… pic.twitter.com/eGe7Tpk0xs
— Matt Gutman (@CBSMATTGUTMAN) July 11, 2026Gutman explained that the call began with a woman claiming to work in his bank's fraud protection department. She introduced herself by name, offered a badge ID, and appeared to know an unusual amount about his personal finances. "They seemed to know so much about me, about my bank account," Gutman said.
"And then they said, 'Listen, we suspect that there is significant fraud activity at the bank branch where you bank, and what we need you to do right now–.' We went through all the accounts, and we actually had some suspicious activity recently in my daughter's account."
From there, the woman laid out what she framed as a plan to help catch the people responsible. "She gave me the names, and then she said, 'What we need you to do, in order to intercept these fraudsters, is to go into the bank and withdraw everything from your bank account,' which wasn't that much money at this point, 'and take it with you so you have it in cash, and that'll trigger the fraudsters into action. That's how we'll be able to catch them.' I thought, OK, that's a little weird."
The Moment Something Finally Felt Wrong
Matt Gutman attends Good Morning America's 50th Anniversary Celebration(Photo by Manoli Figetakis/Getty Images)
Even with his doubts creeping in, Gutman said he still went along with it, at least at first. "Why would you use a regular citizen for something that seems like a law enforcement issue? But I said, you know, OK, and I went in there, and she said, 'But you can't tell anybody at the bank that this is happening because they might be in on it,'" he said.
That instruction is what ultimately gave the scam away. Once the caller told him not to say anything to bank employees, Gutman realized something was seriously off, despite how convincing everything had felt up to that point. "You've got to be so careful," he said, "and some of these scams are incredibly sophisticated, with people who clearly know what they are talking about and speak like they are in the profession. I'm just blown away by how good that person was. I can't get over this."
How to Protect Yourself From Similar Scams
Experts say a few simple habits can go a long way in spotting this kind of fraud before it costs you money. Here are a few tips from FTC Consumer Advice.
Hang up and call your bank directly using the number on your card or statement, never a number the caller provides. The real number can be found on your statement, not the one the caller gives you, since that will connect you back to the scammer.Remember that legitimate bank employees will never ask you to withdraw cash and hand it over, or ask you to keep the transaction secret. Any instruction to withdraw cash and hand it to someone, no matter who they claim to be, is always a scam.Be wary if a caller already seems to know personal details, such as your name or account activity. The FTC has noted that caller ID showing a legitimate-looking bank or government number can still be faked, a tactic that's grown more common with AI-powered scams. Take your time, since honest organizations will always give you time to make a decision, and anyone pressuring you to act immediately is a scammer.Report suspicious calls to your bank's fraud line and to the FTC. The agency asks that anyone who receives a call like this report it directly at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, especially if money was moved or a verification code was shared.Hence then, the article about award winning cbs news anchor nearly loses life savings in sophisticated scam was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Award-Winning CBS News Anchor Nearly Loses Life Savings in Sophisticated Scam )
Also on site :
- Walmart's 'Super Cute' Half Moon Shoulder Bag Brings the Cow Print Trend to Your Wardrobe for Just $20
- James Murdoch may have reaped as much as $7.5 billion from his pre-IPO investment in Elon Musk’s SpaceX
- Rosie O'Donnell Says Prison Visit Led to Her First Real Conversation With Daughter Chelsea in 10 Years