Security News > 2023 > October > FBI warns of surge in 'phantom hacker' scams impacting elderly
The FBI issued a public service announcement warning of a significant increase in 'phantom hacker' scams targeting senior citizens across the United States.
"This Phantom Hacker scam is an evolution of more general tech support scams, layering imposter tech support, financial institution, and government personas to enhance the trust victims place in the scammers and identify the most lucrative accounts to target," the FBI said.
"Between January and June 2023, 19,000 complaints related to tech support scams were submitted to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, with estimated victim losses of over $542 million," the FBI added.
The FBI cautions individuals vulnerable to potential scams against engaging with unsolicited pop-ups, links sent via text messages, or email attachments.
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