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FBI Is warning about a sophisticated “phantom hacker” scheme specifically targeted elderlyAnd which has withdrawn more than a billion dollars from the retirement accounts of victims in the US during the last year.
Although similar scams Having been used over the years, improvements in AI are making some scams more convincing, resulting in a “recent increase nationwide,” the FBI said.
AI is now being deployed to mimic voices, making phone calls sound as if they are coming from your bank or even friends and family.
Fraudsters can also manipulate the caller ID display to make the number appear legitimate.
The bureau said the latest scams are “an evolution of more common technical support scams”, and use multiple layers of deception to target the most lucrative accounts.
This includes deploying fake technical support, as well as fake banks and government individuals to win the trust of victims and make them believe the false story.
“Victims often suffer the loss of entire banking, savings, retirement, or investment accounts under the guise of ‘protecting’ their assets,” FBI said,
Cleveland FBI Agent Charles Johnson told reporters on Thursday: “They seem very legitimate, and when someone – the victim – believes their account is at risk, they are willing to take steps they might not have taken if they had thought about it.”
The scam usually starts with a text, email or computer pop-up posing as a message from customer support.
It instructs people to install software on their computers that grants fraudsters remote access and potentially allows them to view victims’ finances.
The next step is that victims are contacted by someone who claims to be from their bank – but who is a fraudster – who tells them that their computers and financial accounts have been hacked, and that they should consider transferring their money to a secure US government entity – such as the Federal Reserve – for safekeeping.
The final step is that another phone call is made by someone pretending to be from the government – who may also provide forged documents that appear legitimate that will help in the transfer of funds.
After this the money comes to the fraudsters.
Due to the fact that victims transferred the money themselves, it can be very difficult to recover lost funds.
“Don’t call those phone numbers in the popups, don’t click on those links in the emails,” Agent Johnston said.
FBI warns that AI-enabled scams are up 600 percent In the past year, experts have warned that it is becoming more concrete.
FBI advice For those who think they may have been scammed, here’s what:
- Slow down and think. Scammers deliberately create a sense of urgency and panic within victims to convince them to take immediate action.
- Know that legitimate companies will never call you and offer technical support out of the blue. If you get such a call, hang up the phone.
- Never allow remote access to your computer or other device to someone claiming to be technical support.
Independent The FBI has been contacted for further comment.