FBI Warns of Cash-Shipment Scams Targeting Seniors

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a public warning about a surge in tech support scams, now involving the novel practice of cash shipments, typically targeting seniors across the United States. The new technique reveals a shift in the operation of such frauds, moving away from crypto, wire transfers, or gift cards that are comparatively easier for authorities to trace.

"The FBI is warning the public of a recent nationwide uptick in technical support scams targeting older adults, where scammers instruct victims to send cash, wrapped in a magazine(s), via shipping companies," the agency reported in an Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) public service announcement.

Historically, scammers pose as tech support agents from legitimate companies, using various methods to contact potential victims, including phone calls, emails, SMS texts, and even pop-up messages. They claim to offer assistance with fraudulent activities linked to their accounts or provide tempting offers that seem too good to turn down.

In the novel scheme, victims are assigned contact numbers for assistance, where the fraudsters gain access to their computers under the guise of depositing funds into their bank accounts. Utilizing a blend of social engineering and persuasion, the scammers convince victims to download remote access tools, allowing them to control the victims' computers.

Following a successful connection to the victim's computer, scammers instruct the victims to log into their bank accounts. The fraudsters then deliberately deposit a larger sum of money than agreed, then convince the victim to return the surplus in cash, concealed in items such as magazines, and sent via shipping companies.

"The scammer instructs the victim to send the money in cash, wrapped in a magazine(s), or similar method of concealment, via a shipping company to a name and address provided by the scammer," the FBI added. "Most recently, scammers have instructed victims to ship packages containing money to pharmacies and retail businesses that are equipped to receive shipping company packages."

The bureau has outlined some precautionary measures, such as avoiding downloading software when prompted by an unknown individual and never permitting unknown contacts to access or control one's computer. They further advise not to send cash when solicited, especially when asked to hide it in deceptive ways and to refrain from interacting with unsolicited communications of any kind.

If unfortunately ensnared by such a scam, the FBI recommends that victims report the incident to IC3, providing as many details as possible, including the name of the person or company that initiated contact, their method of communication, and the name and address where the money was sent.

With this surge in more advanced and harder-to-track scams, the FBI's warning underlines the importance of remaining vigilant in our increasingly digital age. The bureau encourages everyone, particularly older adults, to take necessary precautions against such threats.

Specialized software like Bitdefender Ultimate Security can boost your online security by keeping you safe against scams and other malicious attempts. Key features include:

• Antispam module that filters irrelevant messages in your local email clients' inbox
• Antifraud technology that warns you whenever you land on websites that may try to scam you
• Anti-phishing module that detects and blocks websites posing as legitimate ones in order to steal your data or funds
• Comprehensive, 24/7 detection and protection against viruses, worms, Trojans, zero-day exploits, ransomware, spyware, rootkits, and other e-threats