1 click cost a father $4 million in bitcoin to vishing scammers

Many of us have families to look after. We save money not only for our own future but also - perhaps even more so - for our kids and grandkids. We want to secure a good education, help them buy a home or simply set aside something for when they need it. 

"Please, man. Is there anything you can do to give me something back?" was Tony's final, desperate plea to the scammers, hoping to appeal to their humanity.

Because vishing relies heavily on social engineering tactics, it can be difficult to detect, making it a particularly dangerous form of cybercrime.

How to protect yourself at this stage:

Scammers always initiate contact first. Let's walk through a vishing scam using a Google account as an example.

How to protect yourself at this stage:

Scammers no longer ask for passwords outright. That trick doesn't work anymore. Here's what they do instead.

After you successfully reset your password, scammers ask for one final step: log in. This is where the real scam happens.

How to protect yourself at this stage:

At this stage, the scammers end the call, leaving you feeling at ease. You won't realize what happened until it's too late. And it's not just Google accounts at risk. The same method can be used to access Apple accounts, banking services and cryptocurrency wallets. For some, losing access to Google alone is devastating; after all, Google Drive, Google Photos and other cloud services store vast amounts of personal and financial data. But by the time you realize what's happened, it's already too late.

How to protect yourself at this stage:

While securing your accounts and reporting fraud are crucial after a scam has already occurred, the best defense is preventing these attacks in the first place. Taking these steps can help ensure you don't fall victim to a vishing scam in the first place.

2. Set up recovery contacts: Establish backup contacts for your accounts (Google, Apple and bank) to ensure you have a way to regain access if locked out.

3. Monitor financial accounts: Regularly check your financial accounts for any suspicious activity or unauthorized transactions.

Tony's story is a chilling reminder that even the most diligent savers can fall victim to sophisticated scams. These vishing schemes, carefully orchestrated like a theatrical play, exploit our trust and leverage real security alerts to gain access to our accounts. Protecting ourselves requires constant awareness, skepticism towards unsolicited communications, and proactive measures to safeguard our personal information. While the tactics may evolve, the underlying principle remains the same: scammers rely on deception to exploit our vulnerabilities. By understanding their methods and taking preventative steps, we can make it harder for them to succeed.

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