The FBI has released the latest in a series of serious warnings to smartphone users. In the past, the agency has warned smartphone owners about dangerous emails that have been designed to display passwords to protect their financial apps and protect their banking, crypto and securities accounts. Now, the FBI is asking associated users to worry about the “Phantom Hacker Scam”, which has been designed to erase many smartphone users.
The FBI says, “It starts with an unauthorized message, and it ends with losing your savings.” The warning is hot, as the FBI says, “The risk is growing rapidly.” The scam begins with the victim’s bank with text or email communication in which they are immediately told that they need to call tech support for help. When they call the phone number listed in the message, they are told by a imposor that they pretend to work in the bank that their funds are immediately threatened by a hacker that breaks one of their devices.
Of course this is all fake. The hacker is as fake as a bank employee who tells the victim that he will help him on the phone. To do this, the fake bank employee will pretend to transfer the affected person to tech support, and another scammer will pick up the phone from the bank’s tech support unit. He tells the affected person that he needs to install a special app on his phone so that the bank can check the security level on the device.
If it is ever with you and you reach this point, do not let the app be that Bogus Bank employees are pushing for you to be installed on your phone. If you do, they will ask you to check your own bank accounts for fake transactions. They will do this by asking you to open your banking, securities, or crypto apps. They can ask you to show recent statements that you can open through an app or website using your phone’s mobile browser.
The thing is, thanks to this app that they asked to install you, whatever you see on your phone, they can see. That is why you should not agree to get the app that they recommend to add to your device on your phone, tablet, or any other associated device you used.
The FBI has warned the public about the Phantom hacker scam. | Image Credit-F BI
If you do not follow this warning, the scammers will now know how much you have in your account and where the cash is. Then they will tell you that they can help you transfer your money to a secure account, which they promise to keep your money away from makeup hackers, which they may have told you earlier that there is a risk to protecting your funds. The safe account is actually their own bank account or crypto purse. The transfer has been made, and your money is gone forever.
Do not respond to any, any text, email, or popup to stop it from being with you that are trying to respond to mistakes by your fears. These scammers know that if they make you worried about a makeup hacker, you are going to answer in a particular way, and thus you have to follow what they ask you to do.
The FBI is calling it a “Phantom hacker attack” because the attackers make the story that the victim’s bank account is being threatened by a hacker who does not exist. Once again, it causes fear and fear can be used to encourage the victim to install the tracking app.
In 2023, when this scam was actually the subject of the FBI, the agency suggested that consumers take the following steps to prevent themselves from becoming another victim:
- Do not click on the link, or the unoccupied popups sent by text messages, or email links or attachments.
- Do not contact a telephone number provided in a popup, text, or email.
- Do not download the software on the request of an unknown person who contacted you.
- Do not allow any unknown person who has contacted you control your computer.
- The US government will never request you to send money through wire transfer to foreign accounts, cryptocurrency, or gift/prepaid cards.
Use your intellect and don’t let your emotions, force you to do something or agree with something you usually never do.
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