Vocabulary

 

 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

Vicki Trip, Scam Victim: “I’m fearful.”

A senior living in North County said she lost her life savings to an elaborate internet scam. Experts say the crooks are getting more creative. They’re not just targeting the elderly, but ultimately anyone who uses popular sites like Amazon.

I took a look at the technology that may have given the thief access to their accounts.

Vicki Trip, Scam Victim: “It sounded very professional.”

Vicki Trip said her life changed by an email, an email she thought came from Amazon.

Vicki Trip, Scam Victim: “There was a charge on Amazon for an iPhone . . . and I knew it wasn’t my charge. There was a phone number to call for Amazon.”

She called, and the man on the other end told her there was an error, and the money would be put back in my account.

In reality, there was no Amazon, no iPhone purchase — but what Vicki didn’t realize what she gave scammers access to her computer through remote control software called AnyDesk.

Cyber Security Expert and CEO of BlackCloak, Chris Pearson, says these scams have been going on for years, but . . .

Chris Pearson, Cyber Security Expert: “And honestly, with COVID, people have gotten even more comfortable with people having remote access to their computers.”

He said the scammers follow the same script:

Chris Pearson, Cyber Security Expert: “I’m going to need to have some remote access to your computer so you can see what you’re doing and help you. Once you click and download the tool on your computer, the computer is now owned by the cybercriminals.

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Back to Vicki. She’s not clear exactly how this happened, but she said the scammers deposited thousands more in her account. It was far more than what she owed for that iPhone that, remember, didn’t exist.

Vicki Trip, Scam Victim: “What happened was, the transfer that was supposed to be for $2,500 came out to be $25,000. To return that money, we had to do a wire transfer. I had to go to the bank.

After a few days, they said he hadn’t been received, so we had to do another wire transfer.”

Three wire transfers later, I’m out more than $84,000.

Reporter: “What went through your mind at that moment?”
Vicki Trip, Scam Victim: “Panic. I’m supporting a brain-injured son, so it’s not just me that I have to be concerned about.”

Looking back, she now sees the red flags, but at the time, Vicki said the operation was just so smooth.

Vicki Trip, Scam Victim: “There was no reason for her to ever question it. Along the way, she also wishes the bank could have raised a red flag on an unsuspecting senior transferring money to an international account.

Vicki Trip, Scam Victim: “If an employee would have mentioned, ‘You know, there’s a scam going around now with wire transfers,’ I would have immediately gone back, called Amazon directly, and none of this would have happened.’

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Chris says banks do have guidelines to spot identity theft, but encourage people to be armed with knowledge to protect themselves.

Chris Pearson, Cyber Security Expert: “If there’s truly something fraudulent, you can go back, and login yourself to Amazon’s website or whatever website it might be, or call your bank yourself via a number that you know, not the number that they tell you.

Vicki filed reports with the police, the bank, and the FTC.

Her once positive outlook on life . . . gone.

Vicki Trip, Scam Victim: “Now it’s sad . . . it’s a lot of sadness.”

Experts also encourage victims to file a report with the FBI.

And remember, this is not your fault. Cybercrime is the fastest growing global crime. Vicki’s friends have established a GoFundMe account to try to help her..

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Questions

 

Spam. In order to “succeed” in cybercrime, you have to be very technically adept. Is this entirely true, mostly true, partially true, largely false, or entirely false?

Virus. Do only shady, online porn sites poses security risks?

Malware. Was Vicki defrauded because Amazon had not delivered an iPhone to her that she had purchased?

Trojan Horse. Hackers broke into her Amazon and bank accounts and siphoned off her money. Is this right or wrong?

Breach. Had Vicki been suspicious of the documents and the person she spoke to?

Firewall. Vicki feels optimistic and has a positive outlook on life. What do you think?

Anti-Virus Software. What does the Chris, the cybersecurity expert recommend?
 
 
 
Spyware. Have you received fake or suspicious emails, texts, unsolicited invites?

Cyber Extortion. Do you hear a lot about cybercrimes and online scams on the news and social media?

Phishing. What do your friends and colleagues say?

Data Theft. Who commits cybercrimes and online scams? What drives or motivates them?

Ransomware. What has been the trend in cybercrimes and online scams and cybersecurity?

Delete Files, Corrupt Files. What might happen in the future?

Backdoor. What could or should people, tech companies and authorities do?