CISA warns of criminals impersonating its employees in phone calls

CISA warns of criminals impersonating its employees in phone calls

June 12, 2024 at 02:05PM

Criminals are using phone calls to deceive victims into transferring money by impersonating government employees, including those at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The agency issued a warning and emphasized that its staff would never request money or secrecy. Tips were shared to avoid falling victim, including validating contacts and reporting scam attempts to law enforcement. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission also cautioned about scams involving imposters posing as their staff, leading to substantial financial losses. Impersonation scams have resulted in over $1.1 billion in losses, with phone calls being the primary method used. The FBI reported a 22% increase in online crime losses compared to the previous year.

From the meeting notes, here are the key takeaways:

1. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a warning about scammers impersonating its employees and attempting to deceive victims into transferring money.

2. CISA staff will never ask for money, cash, cryptocurrency, or gift cards, and will never instruct to keep discussions secret.

3. Tips to avoid falling victim to impersonation scams:
– Do not give in to demands to send money
– Write down the scammer’s phone number and hang up
– Validate the contact by calling CISA at 844-729-2472 or report the scam to law enforcement.

4. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also warned about scammers pretending to be FTC employees and defrauding Americans of thousands of dollars.

5. Impersonation scams resulted in losses exceeding $1.1 billion in 2023, with a median financial loss of $7,000.

6. Most impersonation scams involved phone calls, followed by email and text messages.

7. There’s an increasing trend of scammers impersonating multiple organizations within a single scam.

8. The FBI’s 2023 Internet Crime Report revealed a 22% increase in reported losses to online crime, totaling a record $12.5 billion.

These takeaways highlight the prevalence of impersonation scams and the need for vigilance in identifying and reporting such fraudulent activities.

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