The FRA has noted a recent increase in phone scams targeting older adults, where scammers instruct victims to make international fund transfers in order to aid in apprehending the culprits.
THE SCAM
This appears to be a variation of the Tech Support scam but instead of claiming to be IT support the scammers are claiming to be from the security team of a bank or credit card provider. The scammers usually initiate contact with older adults through a phone call, informing them of fraudulent activities or attempted fraudulent activities using their bank account or credit card.
The scammer tells the victim that all of the money from their account had been removed and moved to a secure location (or a virtual safety deposit box or replaced with funds from Security). The scammers will then ask for their assistance in a fraud investigation setting up a transaction using the victim’s account to catch the fraudsters and request remote access to the victim’s computer. They will tell the victim that the nature of the investigation means that they should not let anyone else know what they are doing.
Once a remote access is established, the victim is convinced to log on to their bank account and the scammers initiate the fraudulent wire transfers. It has been observed on occasion that the scammers are extremely persistent in calling back their victims and requesting them to follow up with the financial institution to ensure the wire payment went through.
If you suspect you have been a victim of this scam, or if you receive any such suspicious calls, contact the RCIPS Financial Crime Investigation Unit at RCIPS.FCU@rcips.ky. You can also contact police at 949-4222.
TIPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF
- Never download software at the request of an unknown individual who contacted you.
- Never allow an unknown individual who contacted you to have control of your computer.
- Do not click on unsolicited pop-ups or links sent via text messages, or email links or attachments. Do not contact the telephone number provided in a pop-up, text, or email.
- Never send or transfer funds to unknown individuals or entities.