A Pennsylvania woman lost $24,000 after receiving a text claiming “Apple high alert” and stating money had been removed from her bank account. She was instructed to call a specific number if she did not move the money herself. When she called, a man said her account was compromised and that hackers could access her funds, urging her to send money to a protected bank. She followed the instructions by withdrawing money from her bank and transferring it to an account provided by the scammer. Police said the money went into a fraudulently created online bank account and was quickly wired to an account in China. Apple warns that social engineering uses impersonation and deception to obtain personal data and financial information, and local authorities report frequent cases.
"The message claimed money had been removed from her bank account, prompting her to call a specific number if she did not move the money herself. When Barbara called the number, a man said her account had been compromised, and hackers could access her funds, urging her to send her money to a protected bank - and she did exactly that."
"Following the scammer's instructions, Barbara went to her bank, withdrew the money and transferred it to the account she had been given. Detective Jonathan Martin said: “This woman's money went into a fraudulently created bank account that was made online.”"
"Detective Martin told WGAL that this type of scam is becoming increasingly common, with multiple cases reported each week. “I'd say multiple times a week, we receive a case where someone has fallen for the "Someone is taking your money. We need to protect it for you,"” Martin said."
"Apple has warned users about this type of scheme, known as social engineering, which is a targeted attack that relies on impersonation, deception, and manipulation to gain access to your personal data. In this attack, scammers will pretend to be representatives of a trusted company or entity over the phone or through other communication methods."
Read at Mail Online
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