Home » News & Events » Phantom Hacker Scams Can Target Anyone
by Julie Williams for News Channel 3 (Kalamazoo, MI)
The Phantom Hacker scam can target anyone. There are three parts to it, and that’s part of why the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) says it’s so convincing.
The National Coalition on Aging (NCOA) says the Phantom Hacker Scam will try to target anyone, but they tend to go after older adults, and in some cases have been able to get their entire life savings.
“They are perceived to have larger savings and retirement funds that they can tap into,” Ebony White, with the National Coalition on Aging, said.
“They can gain more control by layering these tactics,” White said. “It just helps people to really feel like, ‘Oh, something’s really going on here.'”
If you ever get a pop-up or message that says something is wrong with your computer or your bank account, you should turn your machine off, according to the NCA.
The bottom line is the FBI won’t ever have you send any money, the NCA says you shouldn’t download any software or click on any links, and do not trust any phone numbers that are given to you. Experts say if you are worried about a possible issue, you should call your bank directly to verify.
Steinhauer also recommends calling or checking with someone you know and trust to see if they think any of the messages you’ve gotten are legitimate.
It is important to note that once the remote viewing software is on your computer, it will stay there until you delete it. Steinhauer recommends running an anti-virus check or taking it to a professional to double check.
