FBI alerts smartphone users to sophisticated scam involving impersonation of trusted entities

A new scam threatens smartphone users as fraudsters impersonate trusted organisations. Victims are tricked into payments and malware downloads.

The FBI is sounding the alarm about a new and particularly nasty scam targeting smartphone users. While scam calls aren't a new phenomenon, this latest scheme is more devious and harder to detect, leaving many iPhone and Android users vulnerable. Federal agents warn that the scam involves a clever combination of phone calls and tech tricks, making it more difficult for people to recognise when they are being targeted.

Fraudsters posing as law enforcement or banks use caller ID spoofing to trick victims into urgent payments. (Representational image)(HT_PRINT)

New scam threatens smartphone users

The scam works by impersonating trusted entities like technical support, banks, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or even local police forces. The fraudsters use caller ID spoofing to make their calls appear legitimate, tricking unsuspecting victims into believing they are speaking with a trusted organization. This makes the scam particularly convincing and difficult for many to spot, as the fake calls seem to come from familiar, official sources.

The next thing you know victims are pressured to make payments to different accounts or download harmful software. Typical of these kinds of threats, the con artists make teh victim believe that it is a do-or-die situation and everything needs to be done urgently. Moreover, the malware is hard to get out of the system once installed even if the user is aware of its existence, as reported by indy100.

Take, for instance, the stark warning from a police officer about the dangers of QR codes. A single scan of what appears to be an innocent code could give a hacker complete access to your phone. Once compromised, the scammer can access your credit card information, online banking details, photos, contacts, and more—putting your personal data at serious risk.

FBI advice on how to protect yourself from such scams

The FBI's advice to protect yourself from falling victim to these scams is straightforward: if you receive an unsolicited call, hang up, even if it seems to be from a trustworthy source. The chances of such a call being legitimate are so slim that it’s not worth the risk. Scammers often claim that your bank account is under threat or that you need to transfer money to avoid arrest.

Police departments across the U.S., from Virginia to New York, have been handling cases where fraudsters pose as law enforcement, pressuring victims to send money. According to Forbes, the police warns that “this type of scam has occurred throughout the region, including Alexandria, and across the country.” The Forbes continued, “Scams have variations but generally the caller will identify themself as a law enforcement officer and tell the victim, falsely, that a warrant has been issued because they missed a court date, did not show up for jury duty, have an overdue fine or something similar, and they will be arrested unless they pay right away.”

If you ever receive a call from someone claiming to be a police officer and demanding money or making any suspicious requests, the FBI advises that you hang up immediately. Do not engage further. Instead, contact your local law enforcement directly to report the incident and explain what happened. Scammers often impersonate authority figures to exploit people, and verifying the situation with official channels is the best way to protect yourself from falling victim to fraud.