Warn your older adults: An 83-year-old woman was conned out of $1.4 million by scammers posing as JPMorgan’s fraud department and U.S. agents. They said she needed to help catch a rogue employee, but she was the real target. It took 279 days after her first big withdrawal for anyone to notify her son about the suspicious activity (paywall link). Don’t count on banks to step in and help you not get taken.
FBI warning: Crooks are using this new tech support scam
One of the most important parts of my job is making sure you know what criminals and cybercreeps are up to. Enough people fall for this junk — I don’t want you to be a victim, too.
The FBI is warning about tech support scams that robbed folks of a whopping $542 million in just the first half of 2023. It all starts with a notification that looks like it’s from your bank or even the government warning of a computer hack. You guessed it. They’re fake.
‘Trust me, I’m here to help’
The bad guys are running what’s known as “phantom hacker” scams. The target? Often older adults. The aim? To get them to empty their bank accounts. It’s a wicked twist on a tech support scam that’s been around for a while, where you get a pop-up warning your machine has been hacked.
Scammers are no longer just pretending to be tech support agents. They’re impersonating bank officials or government agents to gain your trust.
It goes like this
You get a call from someone who supposedly works for your bank. They claim a hacker from a foreign country is all over your account. Yikes! Then they say, “Hey, move your money to this ‘safe’ government account.” But — spoiler alert — it’s the scammer’s account.
Just how successful is this scam? The FBI has reported 19,000 complaints related to tech support scams in just the first half of the year — amounting to that $542 million I mentioned before. Almost half of those victims were over 60.
So, what can you do? Here’s your action plan:
- Stay skeptical: If you get an unexpected email, text or pop-up warning about a computer breach, take a deep breath. It’s probably a scam.
- Check the source: Verify the message with the bank or agency directly before acting. Use a known phone number or website, not what’s given in the suspicious message.
- Never wire money: The U.S. government won’t ask you to wire money to foreign accounts or buy gift cards. That’s a scammer move every time.
👉 One final step: Let the FBI know if you’ve been duped. File a report here. If it happened to you, it happened to someone else. The more info the good guys have to go on, the more likely they are to catch the bad guys. I spoke with the head of the FBI and he assured me they read every complaint.
What’s in your wallet?
Let’s talk about cash. No, I’m not asking you for any. Here are a few fun facts. Last year, only 20% of all purchases in the U.S. were paid for in cold, hard cash — and nearly half of Americans abandoned Benjamins altogether in a typical week.
There’s a new theory making the rounds on TikTok all about generational texting. The claim is that your texting technique is a solid tell for your age. So, how does Gen Z text? Is it with … A.) One thumb, C.) Two thumbs, C.) Two thumbs and an index finger, or D.) An index finger?
No. 2 most-prescribed drug
For older adults is linked to bone loss. A whopping 23 million Americans take Levothyroxine. A Johns Hopkins Medicine study found it may lead to osteoporosis. Chat with your doc if you take this medication and ask what you can do.
This COVID vaccine scam is particularly nasty — signs to watch for
The COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts are ramping up and will soon be in full swing. There are millions of Americans waiting for an opportunity to get vaccinated against the virus.
The current phase of the rollout prioritizes high-risk persons and older adults at a greater risk of severe complications from COVID. That can be frustrating for those who want to protect themselves against the virus, and the high demand for the vaccine is causing other issues, too.
🚨 Selfie scam warning: Criminals are combing social media for selfies, and older adults are the main targets. Why? They use your selfies to open fake accounts or access existing ones that use facial biometric tech, all so they can steal your money. Safety checklist: Enable multifactor authentication and keep your social media profiles private.
Be AI aware: Facebook’s new algorithm is filling people’s feeds with AI-generated images, and older adults are falling hard for their tricks. Quick crash course: Look for unnaturally smooth textures, gibberish text, and unusual teeth and fingers. I do a deep dive in tomorrow’s newsletter about spotting election fakes online, so be sure you don’t miss it.