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Cyber Risks · Krebs on Security

Scammers Sent Uber to Take Elderly Lady to the Bank

Summary: Scammers emailed an 80-year-old Maryland woman posing as BestBuy/GeekSquad about an appliance installation, told her she owed $160, and had her install remote administration software so they could watch her log into her bank and savings accounts. They then claimed to have accidentally transferred $160,000 into her account and sent an Uber to take her to the bank to wire the money back, but she grew exasperated, went to a neighbor who identified the scam, and never boarded the ride. The FBI's IC3 logged more than 92,000 victims over age 60 reporting $1.7 billion in losses in 2021, a 74 percent increase over 2020.

Bottom line: The FBI notes seniors often have savings, own homes and good credit, and may not report fraud out of shame or fear their relatives will lose confidence in their ability to manage their finances - so the $1.7 billion reported figure likely understates what an isolated, non-technical family member is actually exposed to.

Read the original at Krebs on Security ↗

Topics
Fraud & Scams
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