For the second time this month, there's word of a hacker allegedly intercepting the phone call of someone in western Pennsylvania and scamming them of their money. The most recent victim is a woman in Baden, Beaver County."He said, 'You don't want to waste any time, people from Russia and China are hacking into your account.' He said, 'They've just charged $5,000 to your account," Donna Francis said. Francis of Baden says she was scammed out of nearly $1,500 Feb. 16 by a hacker she believes intercepted her call to the legitimate Apple Support phone number. The man convinced her to allow him to remotely install software that took over her iPhone.Francis told Pittsburgh's Action News 4, "Before I knew it, he was opening up my Huntington account and I said, 'Why are you opening up my Huntington account?' He said, 'This is where I think they're taking money.'"She took iPhone screenshot pictures of apps she says he used to take over her phone.She told him, "I want you to stop right now!' And before I knew it, I could watch him. I'm watching him on the screen."Francis described watching her phone in horror as she could see him taking money from her Huntington Bank account."He was sending $1,498 -- that's what I had in my account -- to himself. And I said, 'What are you doing? You're supposed to be helping me!'"The scammer hung up and her money is gone. She's reported it to her local police and her bank. So far, she's still without her money.The number Francis says she called is the official Apple Support number. Apple did not respond to our request for comment.As for Francis' belief that the scammer somehow hijacked her call to the Apple Support line, an FBI official in Pittsburgh told Pittsburgh's Action News 4, "I think that's probably technically possible. But we aren't seeing any trends of huge incidents of that happening locally or nationally."Doug Olson, the FBI's Pittsburgh Assistant Special Agent in Charge of cyber warns that everyone should take extra steps to verify everything if a purported support person wants to take control of your device."Just say, 'Let me take down your number, who you are with, and I'll call you back.' Go and look up that person, validate who they are," Olson advises. "Take that extra step and you make the contact with the institution that you're trying to make contact with, rather than using that call from a fraudster or that email from a potential fraudster."The previously reported instance of a hacker allegedly intercepting a call happened on Feb. 4. That's when the Allegheny County Health Department partnered with the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania to offer register for COVID-19 vaccinations using the United Way's 2-1-1 line."The health department and 211 learned that a hacker had intercepted calls at the carrier level. These calls never made it to 211 and callers were not informed that they were not talking with that center. While 211 is continuing to work with its telephone partners to investigate this, we do not know which carrier was involved or how many callers this impacted. The problem was quickly identified and resolved," wrote county communications director Amie Downs at the time.Downs later confirmed to Pittsburgh's Action News 4 "that one person fell victim and has since been made whole by their credit card company."The FBI's Olson said, "We're aware of the situation you're talking about but we can't comment on ongoing investigations and we can't comment on the existence of an investigation."Francis said her incident began when her phone's Caller ID displayed an incoming call as coming from "Xfinity Apple Support." She did not answer and later called Xfinity directly and was advised that Xfinity does not have an Apple support team. "It's definitely a red flag when somebody reaches out to you who you didn't contact, even if it is a problem you're having," Olson said. "Be suspicious of any unsolicited contacts or offers."She said the Xfinity representative advised her to call Apple.Francis located the telephone support number on the Apple website -- the same number provided in the packaging when she purchased her iPhone. She said a woman answered and took her initial information, then transferred her to the man she says ultimately took control of her phone and who drained her bank account.She said she didn't feel comfortable with his advice, but he seemed very sincere and had a kind voice. She let him install the software on her phone. After the man accessed her bank account, he hung up on her. She says she tried to use her banking app to cancel the transaction but she couldn't stop it. She said she was told by her local bank branch manager that she may not get her money back."She said (it's) because of the way it looks to them. 'It looks like you sent the money to this man. You approved it and you sent it to him.' I said, 'Oh, my God, you have to be kidding me,'" Francis said.Francis said she filed a report of the incident with Economy Police, who she said will also submit a report to the FBI. The lost money comes at a difficult time for her."I'm recovering from a kidney transplant and I will have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of my life," she said.She was hoping to have the money restored to her account in anticipation of any possible prescription-related expenses.Olson said if you are a victim of a cybercrime, you can report to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, known as IC3. The website is at https://www.ic3.gov.
For the second time this month, there's word of a hacker allegedly intercepting the phone call of someone in western Pennsylvania and scamming them of their money. The most recent victim is a woman in Baden, Beaver County.
"He said, 'You don't want to waste any time, people from Russia and China are hacking into your account.' He said, 'They've just charged $5,000 to your account," Donna Francis said.
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Francis of Baden says she was scammed out of nearly $1,500 Feb. 16 by a hacker she believes intercepted her call to the legitimate Apple Support phone number. The man convinced her to allow him to remotely install software that took over her iPhone.
Francis told Pittsburgh's Action News 4, "Before I knew it, he was opening up my Huntington account and I said, 'Why are you opening up my Huntington account?' He said, 'This is where I think they're taking money.'"
She took iPhone screenshot pictures of apps she says he used to take over her phone.
She told him, "I want you to stop right now!' And before I knew it, I could watch him. I'm watching him on the screen."
Francis described watching her phone in horror as she could see him taking money from her Huntington Bank account.
"He was sending $1,498 -- that's what I had in my account -- to himself. And I said, 'What are you doing? You're supposed to be helping me!'"
The scammer hung up and her money is gone. She's reported it to her local police and her bank. So far, she's still without her money.
The number Francis says she called is the official Apple Support number. Apple did not respond to our request for comment.
As for Francis' belief that the scammer somehow hijacked her call to the Apple Support line, an FBI official in Pittsburgh told Pittsburgh's Action News 4, "I think that's probably technically possible. But we aren't seeing any trends of huge incidents of that happening locally or nationally."
Doug Olson, the FBI's Pittsburgh Assistant Special Agent in Charge of cyber warns that everyone should take extra steps to verify everything if a purported support person wants to take control of your device.
"Just say, 'Let me take down your number, who you are with, and I'll call you back.' Go and look up that person, validate who they are," Olson advises. "Take that extra step and you make the contact with the institution that you're trying to make contact with, rather than using that call from a fraudster or that email from a potential fraudster."
The previously reported instance of a hacker allegedly intercepting a call happened on Feb. 4. That's when the Allegheny County Health Department partnered with the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania to offer register for COVID-19 vaccinations using the United Way's 2-1-1 line.
"The health department and 211 learned that a hacker had intercepted calls at the carrier level. These calls never made it to 211 and callers were not informed that they were not talking with that center. While 211 is continuing to work with its telephone partners to investigate this, we do not know which carrier was involved or how many callers this impacted. The problem was quickly identified and resolved," wrote county communications director Amie Downs at the time.
Downs later confirmed to Pittsburgh's Action News 4 "that one person fell victim and has since been made whole by their credit card company."
The FBI's Olson said, "We're aware of the situation you're talking about but we can't comment on ongoing investigations and we can't comment on the existence of an investigation."
Francis said her incident began when her phone's Caller ID displayed an incoming call as coming from "Xfinity Apple Support." She did not answer and later called Xfinity directly and was advised that Xfinity does not have an Apple support team.
"It's definitely a red flag when somebody reaches out to you who you didn't contact, even if it is a problem you're having," Olson said. "Be suspicious of any unsolicited contacts or offers."
She said the Xfinity representative advised her to call Apple.
Francis located the telephone support number on the Apple website -- the same number provided in the packaging when she purchased her iPhone. She said a woman answered and took her initial information, then transferred her to the man she says ultimately took control of her phone and who drained her bank account.
She said she didn't feel comfortable with his advice, but he seemed very sincere and had a kind voice. She let him install the software on her phone. After the man accessed her bank account, he hung up on her. She says she tried to use her banking app to cancel the transaction but she couldn't stop it. She said she was told by her local bank branch manager that she may not get her money back.
"She said (it's) because of the way it looks to them. 'It looks like you sent the money to this man. You approved it and you sent it to him.' I said, 'Oh, my God, you have to be kidding me,'" Francis said.
Francis said she filed a report of the incident with Economy Police, who she said will also submit a report to the FBI. The lost money comes at a difficult time for her.
"I'm recovering from a kidney transplant and I will have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of my life," she said.
She was hoping to have the money restored to her account in anticipation of any possible prescription-related expenses.
Olson said if you are a victim of a cybercrime, you can report to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, known as IC3. The website is at https://www.ic3.gov.
February 26, 2021 at 07:48AM
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Hacker drains Baden woman's bank account after intercepting call, taking over iPhone - WTAE Pittsburgh
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