Officials warn that scammers are posing as companies and financial institutions to extract money (Image: Getty)
Officials in the US say are using various devious tactics to dupe people into sending money – warning people to look out for particular types of messages.
Back in March 22, the FBI issued a , alerting Americans to some of the inventive ruses being employed to steal cash, including pretending to be customer support or financial institutions – before directing them to “make wire transfers to overseas accounts or purchase large amounts of prepaid cards”.
“The use of and ATMs is also an emerging method of payment,” the bureau adds.
According to the law enforcement agency, the US’s domestic intelligence and security service, of this kind offer support to resolve issues including compromised emails or bank account, computer viruses, or renewing software licenses.
It also noted recent complaints about posing as customer support for financial institutions, utility firms, and exchanges in a bid to shake down Americans.
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The FBI warned that scams can come in various forms (Image: Getty)
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a division of the FBI focused on suspected Internet-facilitated criminal activity, observed an increase in complaints reporting criminals impersonating customer support in 2021.
The attacks can come in various forms, with people getting targeted by people claiming to be from well-known tech firms, offering to resolve non-existent issues with your device, “renewing fraudulent software, or security subscriptions”, the FBI says.
Officials say in banking support impersonator scams, “victims are usually contacted telephonically or via text to indicate a problem with the customer’s account”, before being “persuaded to allow access to their computer and bank account to correct the issue”.
Once they have access, scammers then initiate transfers from the account as well as others associated with it often clearing out accounts before victims are even aware of the deceit.
Cryptocurrency has exploded in popularity in recent years, and almost inevitably criminals are targeting exchanges and pretending to be support or security.
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These attempts to swindle smartphone users can take a similar form, with victims cold-contacted via call, text, or email informing them of false security problems with their crypto wallet, the bureau says.
People can then be then be conviced to grant access to crypto wallets or move funds another wallet to protect them before disappearing, with citizens also warned of fake support sites that steal login information before purloining the coins.
Scams can also involve people pretending to be drivers employed by ride-share or transportation mobility companies, utility, cable, or internet companies or the travel industry, but officials say legitimate customer, security, or tech support companies “will not initiate unsolicited contact with individuals”.
Authorities say there are various simple steps people can take to protect themselves and ensure that your funds are shielded from these schemes.
These include:
- Installing ad-blocking software to reduce reduce pop-ups and malvertising and keeping computer anti-virus, security, and malware protection date.
- Being wary of customer support numbers obtained via open source searching and phone numbers listed in a “sponsored” results section as they’re likely to be prominent as a result of Search Engine Advertising.
- Resist the pressure to act quickly, as criminals will exert pressure to respond quickly
- Never giving access to remote devices or accounts if the person is unknown or unverified
People in the UK who think they have been the victim of similar scams can find advice and warning signs .