Usually the victim is well dressed and nervous. She is told the teller is dishonest and has taken some of her money. She is asked to withdraw a sum of money from her account in cash.

The swindle is similar to the pigeon drop except the con artist plays the role of a bank official or bank examiner. They phone the victim with a story that her checking or savings account has been tampered with and a dishonest teller is suspected.

The victim is then instructed to give the money to the phony bank official that claims the money will be marked, then re-deposited and traced through the system to catch the dishonest teller. Needless to say, the victim will never see the money or bank official again.