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Bank customers warn of fraudulent activity in Cincinnati area

2,017 views · Published 16 October 2018 · 1:59 · Indexed 27 September 2026

Channel: LOCAL 12 · 2018 · News & Politics

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CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Some bank customers in the Cincinnati area are sending out a warning after a number of suspicious transactions. While the customers say they fear they've been hacked, the banks say it could be much simpler.

Russell Brock is putting out a warning after someone took $1,000 out of his bank account.

“We started looking at the statements, and it started coming up with these different ATM withdrawals,” said Brock.

Brock's account shows two $500 withdrawals 1,000 miles away in Wyoming. When he went to his bank, Park National, he realized he wasn’t the only victim.

“It was another couple there that had the same problem. The teller was on the phone with another individual with the same problem, and it was amazing because they were all tied to the same state with the same exact amount from the ATM fees to the amounts they were withdrawing,” said Brock.

Representatives with Park National confirm up to 25 customers in the Cincinnati area may have fallen victim to the fraudulent activity, but it doesn't stop there. Some Huntington bank customers experienced a similar issue this week.

“To me, it's becoming something that somebody needs to get a hold of. I don't know if it's the tech companies, the IT guys. I’m certainly not a computer guy to be able to tell them what precautions to take,” said Brock.

Representatives with Park National and Huntington both say there hasn’t been a big data breach, but they did offer some tips to help protect yourself from credit card skimming -- that includes making sure the card scanner hasn’t been tampered with and making sure you cover the keypad when you put you enter your PIN number.

Brock also has some advice.

“Watch your bank account. Keep an eye on your bank account. Keep an eye on your balances and your surroundings,” he said.

Brock was able to get his money back through Park National's Zero Liability policy. Park National representatives also say they’re aware of the other fraudulent activity happening in the Cincinnati area and they believe Visa is investigating.

Park National offered the following statement to Local 12:

When our banking office opened on Sunday morning, a few customers reported unauthorized charges in their checking account. Like every bank, we have safeguards and processes in place to protect our customer account information, and to quickly resolve any issue that may arise. Our zero liability policy ensures full coverage of unauthorized charges for our customers.
Our local bankers are working directly with a small number of customers -- all from the Cincinnati area -- that have been affected by similar unauthorized charges. We are aware of other fraudulent activity in the Cincinnati area, and we believe Visa is investigating the issue.
While the banking industry continually updates its technology and practices to prevent fraud-related theft, it does occasionally occur. Online banking, mobile banking, and bank statements are a great tools for monitoring activity on your bank account. Our local banking offices and 24/7 customer care center are happy to help anyone with questions about their account.
Huntington National Bank offered the following statement to Local 12:

Fraud can happen from phishing, phone scams, dumpster diving, skimming and more. With the case of skimming, criminals will clone cards and attempt to access accounts to make fraudulent purchases.
Huntington proactively looks out for customers with our fraud alert system.? We have robust controls that monitor customer account activity.?Our fraud controls continuously monitor account activity. And our customers can also monitor their accounts online, on their mobile devices, via phone, in person in the branches or on a paper statement.
Our zero liability policy protects our customers from unauthorized use of their debit and credit cards.? Customers are not responsible for unauthorized account activity.? Any customer that believes (s)he has been a victim of fraud related to credit card or debit card, notify us immediately at 1-800-480-2265, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week."

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