Inside the FBI: The Phantom Hacker Scam

Inside the FBI Podcast
29 Feb 202407:45
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThe FBI's podcast 'Inside the FBI' discusses the 'Phantom Hacker' scam, a three-phase fraud targeting primarily older Americans, costing over $500 million since 2023. The scam begins with a tech support impostor, progresses to a fake financial institution representative, and concludes with a U.S. government impostor pressuring victims to transfer funds to 'safe' accounts. The FBI offers advice on avoiding such scams and urges reporting to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for any suspected incidents.

Takeaways
  • 🔍 Tech support scams have cost victims, mainly older Americans, over $500 million since 2023.
  • 📞 The phantom hacker scam consists of three phases, each involving different scammers pretending to be different authorities.
  • 💻 Phase one: A scammer poses as tech support, urging victims to download a remote access program to 'secure' their computer.
  • 💸 Phase two: A second scammer, posing as a financial institution representative, instructs victims to move their money to 'safe' accounts, often using wire transfers, cash, or cryptocurrency.
  • 🏛️ Phase three: A final scammer pretends to be a U.S. government employee, convincing victims to move their funds with fake official communications.
  • 🚨 Victims are urged to report the scam to their local FBI field office and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.
  • 📱 Tips to avoid scams: Do not click on unsolicited pop-ups, links, or download software from unknown sources.
  • 👨‍💻 Never give control of your computer to someone you don't know, even if they claim to be from a legitimate organization.
  • ❌ The U.S. government will never ask you to wire money to a foreign account or send money via cryptocurrency or gift cards.
  • 🛡️ Visit fbi.gov/scams and ic3.gov for more information on common scams and how to protect yourself.
Q & A

  • What is the main topic of the podcast episode by Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory?

    -The main topic is the 'Phantom Hacker' scam, which is a tech support scam that has cost victims, primarily older Americans, over $500 million since 2023.

  • How many phases does the Phantom Hacker scam consist of according to the podcast?

    -The Phantom Hacker scam consists of three phases, each led by a different scammer pretending to be someone they are not.

  • What is the purpose of the first phase of the scam, known as the tech support impostor phase?

    -In the first phase, the scammer pretends to be a tech support representative, urging the victim to download a remote access program under the pretense of checking for potential security threats.

  • What does the scammer claim to find during the 'scan' of the victim's computer in the tech support impostor phase?

    -The scammer claims that the 'scan' reveals that the victim has either already been hacked or is likely to be hacked in the future, putting their bank accounts at risk.

  • What is the role of the second phase of the scam, known as the financial institution impostor phase?

    -In the second phase, a second scammer, pretending to be from the victim's bank or financial institution, calls to warn the victim about a foreign hacker and instructs them to move their money to a 'safe' third-party account.

  • What type of accounts are victims told to move their money to during the financial institution impostor phase?

    -Victims are told to move their money to an allegedly 'safe' third-party account with the Federal Reserve or another U.S. government agency.

  • What is the purpose of the third phase of the scam, known as the U.S. government impostor phase?

    -In the third phase, the final impostor pretends to be an employee from the Federal Reserve or another U.S. agency to reinforce the scam's credibility and pressure the victim to transfer funds.

  • What should a victim do if they suspect they have fallen for the Phantom Hacker scam?

    -Victims should report the incident to their local FBI field office and to the Bureau’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov, providing as much information as possible.

  • What are some tips provided by the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center to avoid falling victim to such scams?

    -Tips include not clicking on unsolicited pop-ups or links, not calling numbers from suspicious messages, not downloading software from unknown contacts, not giving control of your computer to strangers, and remembering that the U.S. government will never ask for wire transfers to foreign accounts or cryptocurrency transactions.

  • How can listeners stay informed about common scams and crimes and learn how to report suspected incidents?

    -Listeners can visit fbi.gov/scams for more information on common scams and crimes and how to report incidents. They can also visit ic3.gov and click on 'Consumer Alerts' for public service announcements on similar schemes.

  • How can one follow the podcast 'Inside the FBI' for updates and new episodes?

    -Listeners can follow 'Inside the FBI' on their favorite podcast platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and YouTube, or subscribe to email alerts at fbi.gov/podcasts.

Outlines
00:00
🚨 Tech Support Scams: The Phantom Hacker Scam

This segment of 'Inside the FBI' with Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory warns about the growing threat of tech support scams, particularly targeting older Americans, which have resulted in over $500 million in losses since 2023. The episode focuses on the 'Phantom Hacker' scam, detailing its three phases involving different scammers pretending to be tech support, financial institution representatives, and U.S. government officials. The scam begins with an unsolicited message prompting the victim to call for tech support, leading to a series of deceptions aimed at gaining remote access to the victim's computer and eventually transferring their money to fraudulent accounts. The segment educates listeners on how to identify and avoid falling prey to such scams.

05:03
📞 Reporting and Preventing the Phantom Hacker Scam

The second paragraph provides guidance on how to report and prevent falling victim to the Phantom Hacker scam. It advises reporting any suspicious activity to the local FBI field office and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov, including detailed information about the scammer's contact methods and any financial transactions involved. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center offers several tips for avoiding scams, such as not clicking on unsolicited pop-ups or links, not calling numbers from suspicious messages, refusing to download software from unknown sources, and never giving control of one's computer to strangers. It also emphasizes that the U.S. government will never request wire transfers to foreign accounts or payments in cryptocurrency or gift cards, and provides resources for further education on common scams and crimes at fbi.gov/scams and ic3.gov.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Tech Support Scams
Tech Support Scams refer to fraudulent schemes where scammers impersonate tech support personnel to trick individuals into believing their computer has a problem that requires immediate resolution. In the video's context, these scams have cost victims over $500 million since 2023, highlighting the severity of the issue. The script describes how victims are lured into downloading remote access programs, which then enable the scammers to take control of the victim's computer.
💡Phantom Hacker Scam
Phantom Hacker Scam is a specific type of tech support scam that the video script dissects. It is structured in three phases, each involving a different scammer pretending to be a legitimate entity. The term is used in the script to describe the scam that targets individuals, particularly older Americans, by creating a false sense of urgency and threat to their financial security.
💡Impostor
An Impostor, in the context of the video, is someone who falsely represents themselves as another person or entity to deceive others. The script outlines how impostors play different roles in the scam, such as tech support personnel, banking officials, or government employees, to gain the victim's trust and ultimately access to their financial accounts.
💡Remote Access Program
A Remote Access Program is software that allows a user to control another computer remotely. In the video's narrative, the scammer convinces the victim to download such a program under the guise of tech support, which then provides the scammer with access to the victim's computer and personal information.
💡Financial Institution Impostor
Financial Institution Impostor is a term used in the script to describe the second phase of the scam, where a scammer pretends to be a representative from a bank, brokerage firm, or other financial institution. They use this ruse to convince the victim to transfer their money to a 'safe' account, which is actually controlled by the scammers.
💡Wire Transfer
Wire Transfer is a method of electronic funds transfer from one bank account to another. In the script, the scammer instructs the victim to use wire transfers to move their money to a fraudulent 'safe' account, which is a common method used in scams to quickly and irreversibly transfer funds.
💡Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security and operates independently of a central bank. The video mentions that scammers may instruct victims to transfer funds using cryptocurrency, which is difficult to trace and recover, adding to the complexity of scam recovery.
💡U.S. Government Impostor
U.S. Government Impostor is the final phase of the scam described in the script, where the scammer pretends to be an employee of the Federal Reserve or another U.S. government agency. This is done to further convince the victim of the legitimacy of the scam and to pressure them into transferring their funds.
💡FBI
The FBI, or Federal Bureau of Investigation, is the principal federal investigative agency in the United States. The script mentions the FBI as the organization to report such scams to, through their local field office or the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), indicating the role of law enforcement in combating these crimes.
💡Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
The Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, is a platform provided by the FBI to report internet-related crimes. The script encourages victims to report scams to IC3, emphasizing the importance of reporting such incidents to aid in investigations and prevention efforts.
💡Vigilance
Vigilance refers to the state of being carefully watchful, especially for potential danger or errors. The video script uses the term to highlight the importance of being alert and cautious to avoid falling victim to scams, providing tips on how to stay safe online.
Highlights

Tech support scams have cost victims more than $500 million since 2023, primarily affecting older Americans.

The Phantom Hacker scam has three distinct phases, each involving a scammer pretending to be someone they are not.

In the tech support impostor phase, victims are lured to call a number for 'assistance' and are tricked into downloading a remote access program.

Scammers claim the victim's computer has been hacked or is at risk, using this to gain access to the victim's financial accounts.

The financial institution impostor phase involves a second scammer pretending to be from the victim's bank or brokerage firm.

The second scammer instructs the victim to move money to a 'safe' third-party account, often using wire transfers, cash, or cryptocurrency.

The U.S. government impostor phase aims to solidify the victim's trust by having the final scammer pose as an employee from the Federal Reserve or another U.S. agency.

Scammers may produce fake 'official' communications with authentic-looking letterheads to convince the victim of their identity and the scam's authenticity.

Victims of the Phantom Hacker scam should report it to their local FBI field office and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.

Reports should include as much information as possible, such as the name of the person or organization, communication methods, and any account details involved.

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center provides tips to avoid falling victim to tech support scams, including not clicking on unsolicited pop-ups or links.

The U.S. government will never ask individuals to wire money to a foreign account or send money in the form of cryptocurrency or gift cards.

FBI's website fbi.gov/scams offers more information on common scams and crimes and how to report suspected incidents.

IC3's library of public service announcements on ic3.gov provides education on similar schemes and ways to safeguard money from scammers.

Inside the FBI podcast is produced by the FBI's Office of Public Affairs and can be followed on various podcast platforms and subscribed to via email alerts.

Transcripts

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Tech SupportScams AwarenessFBI PodcastFinancial FraudPhantom HackerScammers TacticsInternet SafetyFraud PreventionCyber SecurityMoney Protection