FBI ALERT: ‘Phantom Hacker’ Draining Texas Retirement Accounts

There is nothing worse than someone who is willing to take advantage of someone else, especially when we are talking about stealing from the elderly. Unfortunately, there are people like that out there who are just waiting to take advantage of others. There is a new FBI warning that is being shared online including in Texas to make sure that you and everyone you know don’t become another victim of the "Phantom Hacker". 

How Does the ‘Phantom Hacker’ Scam Begin? 

First, scammers are pretending to be officials from banking institutions, technology companies, or even the Government to gain trust with the elderly victim. The scammers then tell the victim that their money needs to be moved to be “protected” from a foreign attack. Obviously, there are no foreign hackers, but at this point the scammers have full control of the victim's money, and some are losing everything.  

How to Protect Yourself from the “Phantom Hacker” 

The FBI wants to remind everyone to follow these tips to avoid becoming another victim. 

1. Don’t click on unsolicited pop-ups, text messages, emails, or attachments 
2. Don’t contact any number from a pop-up, text or email 
3. Don’t download software from anyone you don’t know 
4. Don’t ever give access to your computer to anyone that you don’t know 
5. Remember the U.S. Government will never ask for money, gift/prepaid cards, cryptocurrency, or any sort of wire transfer. 

What to do If You Become a Victim of the “Phantom Hacker” 

Don’t beat yourself up, we’ve all made mistakes. But please click here to send information to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center so they can help to locate and shut down these hackers.