(FreedomBeacon.com)- In Northwest Arkansas, the FBI has seen an increase in new internet scam that incorporates elder fraud, identity theft, computer intrusion, and cryptocurrency. It happens online while you visit websites.
Kevin Corlew, a supervising special agent, said that recently, they’d had a few people phone in alleging that they were victims of this fraud, and we’ve taken their statements seriously. They have been duped several hundred and one thousand dollars of their own money.
The cons begin when the victim clicks on a pop-up link that gives them a phone number to contact for assistance.
You’ll immediately be connected to the criminals when you call that number. After that, the con artist will push you to invest your money in some form of cryptocurrency.
Corlew said that if you put that money into cryptocurrency, it’s gone forever.
The Office of the Inspector General has appointed Anthony Monaco as the Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration.
Monaco added that it is of the utmost importance that you be aware that neither the government nor the vast majority of companies would ever ask you to convert your money into cryptocurrency.
It is possible to avoid falling victim to con jobs like these if you just stop and think.
Corlew said to stop and think about the legitimacy of your reading before you click on any link or phone number. If you’re not sure, ask the authorities or call a respectable firm to check, and if you’re still not convinced, think about the validity.
Monaco offered some sound counsel.
You can bet it isn’t if something doesn’t feel or sound quite right.
Although we live in the digital age, fraudsters rely heavily on the telephone. In 2021, around 1.8 million fraud complaints were filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and 36% of those instances included phone calls as the con artist’s entry point.
Phone scammers employ pushy sales tactics, bogus threats, and false promises to get you on the line and collect information they can use to steal your money, identity, or both.
It’s simple to see why thieves like calling you. The creator of the call-security software Truecaller hypothesizes that 59 million Americans lost money to phone scams in the preceding 12 months based on a March 2021 poll.
