Don’t become a victim

Last month, after speaking with a Century Village East resident who had come seconds away from losing thousands of dollars in an online financial scam, a local bank employee in Deerfield Beach revealed that residents in Century Village East are being increasingly targeted.

While the news might have shocked the resident, it is hardly surprising. According to Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics, in 2022, there were 88,262 complaints of fraud from people age 60+ resulting in $3.1 billion in losses. This was a 82.35% increase in losses compared to 2021.

Meanwhile, the Broward Sheriff’s Office says it also deals with reports of people contacting victims by phone regarding fraudulent activity on their bank accounts.  BSO warns “if you have questions regarding your bank accounts contact your financial institution directly.”

The FBI warns of a recent increase in "Phantom Hacker" scams, significantly impacting senior citizens.

This Phantom Hacker scam is an evolution of more general tech support scams, layering imposter tech support, financial institution, and government personas to enhance the trust victims place in the scammers and identify the most lucrative accounts to target. Victims often suffer the loss of entire banking, savings, retirement, or investment accounts under the guise of "protecting" their assets.

So how can you protect yourself?

According to experts:

·      Do not click on unsolicited pop-ups, links sent via text messages, or email links or attachments. 

·      Do not contact the telephone number provided in a pop-up, text, or email. 

·      Do not download software at the request of an unknown individual who contacted you. 

·      Do not allow an unknown individual who contacted you to have control of your computer.

If you become a victim, contact the Broward Sheriff’s office at 954-764-HELP (4357).