A few words were all it took to thwart a bank robbery in Rockville earlier this month.

A female walked up to the counter at the Capital One Bank branch at 5751 Fishers Lane between 9 and 9:30 a.m. June 6, according to Rockville City Police. Police said the woman—wearing black pants and a long-sleeved black dress—slid a note and a bag to a bank employee demanding cash and threatening physical harm.

But things took a turn when the banker told the would-be robber that her cash drawer was empty and handed her back the note and the empty bag—enough to prompt the woman to leave the bank, according to police. Rockville police described the robber as a black female, about 30 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall and between 120 and 130 pounds. She was wearing a long black head wrap with a black-and-white snake pattern on it.