INDIANAPOLIS -- Chad Butler was unaware somebody had overtaken his realtor's computer and sent him a reminder on where to wire $42,000 for his home's closing.
The money disappeared -- and Butler had no chance to report the scheme to federal authorities.
"It set us back a while," Butler said. "We had some bigger plans to try to put in motion. They'll have to wait a few years.
Doug Kasper, an FBI representative from Indianapolis, leads the Complex Financial Crimes squad, which responds to financial crimes statewide.
"We're seeing a big uptick with victims across the state," Kasper said. "Don't be embarrassed. Call us -- we've helped companies recover as low as $2,000-$3,000 up to several million dollars. People who take time to reach us have a good chance of getting their money."
Since Feb. 2016, the squad has recovered $5.5 million for Hoosiers. The FBI stopped the banks from making the payments to the crooks wanting to cash in.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is trusting emails, which tell them to change a routine, like a new place to send money.
"Double check it," Kasper said. "Just take one extra step and make sure this money is actually going where it's supposed to go."
There are no guarantees you'll get your money back if you report your loss, but the information you provide could help prevent someone else from being victimized.
"We're aware what they are doing and we're doing more intelligence efforts to identify accounts that they are using to identify that type of activity," said Jay Abbott, FBI Special-Agent-In-Charge.
The FBI recently helped an elderly woman who was misled into wiring $346,000 to a wrong account.
If you need to report a problem to investigators, click here to start the process.
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