The FBI cautions Coastal Bend residents about a scam targeting older people.
The “Phantom Hacker” scam unfolds in three stages and aims to gain the victim’s trust.
Will Jackson, an elderly resident of Coastal Bend, finds the scam ridiculous.
“It’s devastating to realize that such scams target the most susceptible,” commented Jackson.
Fraudsters, pretending to be from a genuine tech or customer service team, reach out to victims via phone, email, text, or computer pop-ups, urging them to dial a specific number for “help.”
Subsequently, fraudsters may pretend to be from a financial entity like a bank or an investment firm and reach out to the potential victim. They falsely claim that an overseas hacker has compromised the individual’s computer and financial assets. To protect their funds, the victim is misled into transferring their money to a supposedly “secure” account, often purported to be associated with the Federal Reserve or another U.S. government agency.
In the final stage, the victim might receive a call from someone pretending to be a representative from the Federal Reserve or another U.S. government agency.
Resident Sandra Davis expressed her frustration about how these scams make life even more challenging for older people.
“It’s disgraceful. You’d use your skills for legitimate purposes rather than illegal activities. People toil hard in life, even more so when they’re retired,” remarked Davis.
The FBI has highlighted that individuals who fall prey to these “Phantom Hacker” scams often lose everything from their savings to retirement and investment accounts after sharing their account details with the scammers.
Connor Hagan, the FBI Public Affairs Officer, noted that victims often don’t recover the lost money.
“Once the stolen funds are converted into cryptocurrencies or spent on gift cards, reclaiming that money becomes extremely challenging, if not impossible,” Hagan explained.
The FBI revealed that nearly half of the victims were 60 and above.
“The emotional toll and mental stress this imposes is immense. Sadly, it seems the perpetrators are indifferent to the harm they cause,” Jackson commented.
For protection against such scams, the FBI advises avoiding clicking on unexpected pop-ups, refraining from downloading unfamiliar software, ignoring phone numbers presented in pop-ups, and never sharing bank details over the phone.