A new era of AI travel fraud: What to watch out for
The rise of AI is bringing new ways to trick people when booking travel.
The FBI is warning Americans to be wary of scammers using bank phone numbers to scam people out of thousands of dollars, according to reports.
“Bank spoofing” scams involve people disguising their real numbers so that their financial institution’s contact information appears on the caller ID, FBI officials told Chicago-based television stations ABC 7 and FOX Business.
The agency said the scheme was designed to trick victims into divulging sensitive information, which the fraudsters then posed as bank representatives and transferred money to various accounts.
One victim told ABC 7 he lost $40,000 after receiving a call that matched the number on the back of his Chase debit card and convincing him that he needed to transfer the money to a “secure” account.
“They read out my account number,” she told the news outlet. “They had my account balance down to the penny.”
USA TODAY has contacted the FBI for more information.
How to avoid being scammed
The FBI recommends doing the following to avoid being scammed:
- Set up two-factor or multi-factor ID for your account
- Check email addresses and URLs, looking for misspellings or anything unusual.
- Don’t click on unsolicited links sent via email or text message
The FBI also emphasized that companies will not ask for usernames or passwords.
Chase Bank told ABC7 that it “urges all consumers to ignore phone calls, text messages or internet requests to send money or access their computer or bank account.” “Banks and legitimate businesses don’t make these demands, but scammers do.”
Anyone who experiences a potential spoofing or phishing scam should report it online to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Julia Gomez is a trends reporter for USA TODAY, covering invasive species, space phenomena, scientific research, natural disasters, and trending news. Connect with her on LinkedIn ×Instagram, TikTok: @juliamariegz or email jgomez@gannett.com.
