The Phantom Hacker Scam has been active since at least 2024 and operates at a billion-dollar scale, targeting seniors' retirement funds across America. Scammers use artificial intelligence to profile victims' personal interests, frequently exploiting older Facebook users to craft believable lures. The operation uses a three-pronged attack: tech-support impostors gain remote access, bogus bank representatives instruct victims to transfer funds to third-party 'safe' accounts, and impersonators pose as financial or government fraud departments to justify transfers. The FBI issued a red alert urging the public to beware of simultaneous tech support, bank, and government impersonation scams.
Active since at least 2024, The Phantom Hacker Scam uses a three-pronged phishing attack to drain your bank account. In an interview with Fox News Digital, cybersecurity expert Pete Nicoletti warns that scammers use artificial intelligence to identify personal interests (especially older users on Facebook) to gain access to your life and accounts. For example, he cites a potential victim who is an avid car collector.
[Scammers] send you an email or a message saying, 'hey, that Corvette that you ordered a month ago is now available. It's, you know, for $500, you can get it... and we'll deliver it to you right away,' Nicoletti told the outlet. 'And of course, the senior goes, 'Well, I'm a Corvette collector. Maybe I was forgetful and I didn't know that I ordered that Corvette.'
The FBI reminds the public to beware of Phantom Hacker Scams where cyber criminals use a 3 prong attack against victims using tech support, financial institution, & government impersonation scams simultaneously. Learn more here: https://t.co/c5V3OUEtZU #TechTuesday pic.twitter.com/H9T0EqNZlF- FBI Los Angeles (@FBILosAngeles) July 15, 2025 The second phase has a bogus bank representative calling the victim and instructing them to move their funds to a third-party account where it will be "safe."
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