FBI issues warning about fake refund or payment portals disguised as if from legitimate financial institutions.
On November 10th, the FBI released a public service announcement that scammers are now using techniques that impersonate financial institutions – like JP Morgan Chase.
Victims will be tricked via email, call, or text by hackers pretending to be representatives.
“Within the body of the email, the scammers will indicate the specific service to be renewed with a price commonly in the range of $300 to $500 USD, provoking a sense of urgency in the victims to contact them and provide information for a refund,” the FBI said.
While this type of scam is not new, the FBI states that new methods are being implemented such as displaying fake payment portals that look legitimate. They can be deployed through Windows environments and scripts right on victim’s own computers.
Victims are then coerced into providing personal information like a social security number, or payment information such as from a credit card or banking details. Hackers then use that information to steal victim’s data or money from bank accounts.
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Victims of cybercrime should report any activity to the FBI through their IC3 website portal Internet Crime Complaint Center(IC3) | Home Page
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Walter Contreras
Walter Contreras has over 25 years of experience in information technology, including cybersecurity, with a focus on the Insurance Industry. As both a computer scientist and a graduate of the Columbia University Business School’s Executive MBA program, Walter understands how the world’s digital transformation is impacting small and medium businesses. His mission is to deploy information technology to protect and empower entrepreneurs.
