We know you work hard to build a life for yourselves, create nest eggs, and save toward retirement. Arvest wants to empower you to protect your hard-earned money and stay safe from imposter scams that target both personal and business accounts.
The "Phantom Hacker" scam is one of the most dangerous and sophisticated variants. It is an impersonation scheme that can drain a victim's entire life savings. This scam, which can target both individuals and businesses, works in three phases: Tech Support, Financial Support, and Government Service.
Tech Support Imposter
Criminals reach out claiming your computer has a problem that needs to be "fixed." They convince you to download software that gives them remote access to your device to "fix" it.
They claim the computer has been, or is at risk of being hacked, putting your accounts in danger, and that the financial institution's fraud department will reach out with further instructions.
The Financial Imposter
A second scammer, posing as a bank official, calls to tell you that your money is "at risk" from foreign hackers. They instruct you to move the money to a "safe" account, such as an account with the Federal Reserve or other government agency. The scammer tells you not to tell anyone the reason for the money movement.
The Government Imposter
To finalize the scam, a third person poses as a government official. They reiterate that your funds are not safe and need to be moved to a "safe" or "alias" account for protection. They may even go as far as to send what appears to be an official letter to help solidify their story and reduce suspicion.
The Result
The money is actually being wired directly to the scammers, often via cryptocurrency or international wire transfers, making it nearly impossible to recover.
Listen to an FTC undercover call with a tech support scammer.
Red Flags to Watch For
- High urgency: "Your account is in danger. You need to move your funds now."
- Remote access: Unsolicited requests to "fix" things or "confirm fraud" requiring a screenshare or software installation.
- Odd payments: Requests to pay via gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency to "safeguard" money.
- Odd requests: Your bank calling asking you for your PIN or 2FA code (https://www.banksneveraskthat.com/).
How to Protect Yourself
- Avoid interacting with unsolicited content: Unexpected pop-ups, links or attachments in text or email may be malicious.
- Verify via a second channel: Do not contact the telephone number provided in a pop-up, text, or email. If you get an alert or "the FBI" or "your Bank" calls, don't engage. Call the official, publicly listed number of your bank, tech provider or local FBI office.
- Only download trusted software/apps: Do not download software at the request of an unknown individual who contacted you.
- Keep control of your devices: Do not allow an unknown individual who contacted you to have control of your computer.
- Report suspicious activity: Contact your bank and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov to report the incident. Include as much information as possible, such as names, methods of communication and, if applicable, the account info where the funds were wired.
- Know what to expect: The US Government will never request that you send money via wire transfer to foreign accounts, cryptocurrency or gift/prepaid cards.
If someone claiming to be from Arvest contacts you out of the blue, pressures you for personal info, demands that you act quickly or threatens you, it is likely a scam.
Don't respond; instead, contact us immediately at (866) 952-9523 or reportfraud@arvest.com.
