Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Lawyer Offers Warning After Almost Falling Victim to Extremely Sophisticated Phishing Scam

Lawyer Offers Warning After Almost Falling Victim to Extremely Sophisticated Phishing Scam

GettyImages, @DigitalLawyer/Twitter

A relatively new scam is on the rise where imposters posing as bank representatives are trying to swindle you out of your savings.

As with most convincing hoaxes, this one seems legitimate.

At first.


A scammer contacted Pieter Gunst, a lawyer, and alerted him to suspicious activity with his bank card and asked for some information.

Luckily, Gunst saw the red flags and managed to end the call before he was defrauded.

Gunst took to Twitter to spread awareness of the scam and began his tweet with an onomatopoeic exhalation.

"Oooof. Was just subjected to the most credible phishing attempt I've experienced to date."

He proceeded to outline how the phone conversation went down.

"1) 'Hi, this is your bank. There was an attempt to use your card in Miami, Florida. Was this you?'"
"Me: no."

The transaction was then "blocked" and the caller proceeded to ask for some information.

"2) 'Ok. We've blocked the transaction. To verify that I am speaking to Pieter, what is your member number?'"
"Me: <gives member number> (that number, by itself, is useless)."


That should have been a done deal, or so one would think.

But the imposter asked Gunst for further confirmation about recent transactions.

Then they asked for his PIN.

That was when the lawyer became wise to the phishing attempt and abruptly ended the conversation.

After hanging up, he immediately called the bank's fraud department.


Gunst explained how he thinks the attacker was able to access his account's transaction history.

Here is an important rule of thumb:

Never trust anyone asking for your PIN number, regardless of who you think is on the other end.

Changing passwords is a necessary evil.

Those familiar with the stunt shared their insight.


Keep in mind that if a caller posing as someone from your bank initiates contact, they should already know your card number and PIN.





Making things more complicated, different countries have different levels of requiring information.

Nevertheless, you might want to think twice before answering the phone.


However, that MO does not work for everyone.



The Federal Trade Commission reported 535,000 complaints about imposter scams in 2018, 69% of which were handled over the phone.

The FTC urges people never to give out their account information over the phone.

A bank or payment card company that is contacting you first will never ask you for your account number, let alone your PIN.

When you reveal private information, your money is not the only thing at risk of being stolen. Your identity could also be compromised.

If you think you have been a victim of a scam, immediately call the number from a bank statement or an official bank document and then proceed to file a complaint with the FTC.

And while resetting all your passwords is annoying, it will be worth the effort for your peace of mind.

******

Have you listened to the first season of George Takei's podcast, 'Oh Myyy Pod!'?

In season one we explored the racially charged videos that have taken the internet by storm.

We're hard at work on season two so be sure to subscribe here so you don't miss it when it goes live.

Here's one of our favorite episodes from season one. Enjoy!

More from Trending

Carrie Coon
HBO

'White Lotus' Star Carrie Coon Reveals Why Scene With Her Character's Nonbinary Child Was Cut

The third season of HBO's The White Lotus hasn't shied away from depicting our dark moment in American politics, but there was one story element that proved a bridge too far, it seems.

In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, actor Carrie Coon said her character Laurie was supposed to have a nonbinary child with they/them pronouns. But the brief scene between her and her child was cut following Trump's election.

Keep ReadingShow less
Vivian Wilson; Elon Musk
@vivllainous/Instagram, Scott Olson/Getty Images

Vivian Wilson Claims Elon Musk's Former Liberal Views Were Just A 'Marketing Scheme'

Elon Musk's estranged trans daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson set the record straight about the tech billionaire's supposed liberal beginnings, alleging that his persona was merely a ruse and part of a “marketing scheme.”

Wilson, who legally changed her name and identity in 2022 when she was 18, interviewed with YouTuber and Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who asked her what the "transition was like for your dad to go from a liberal darling…"

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Trump Slammed After Saying He's 'Not Joking' About Running For A Third Term

Republican President Donald Trump was ridiculed for insisting he was "not joking" about running for a third presidential term, which would violate the Constitution under the 22nd Amendment, stating a President cannot be elected beyond a second term.

In an NBC interview Sunday morning, Trump maintained his allies were pushing for a third term for the Trump administration.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump
Fox News

Trump Ripped For Bonkers Answer After Being Asked To Define What A 'Woman' Is

President Donald Trump was called out after he was asked by a conservative reporter at the end of Women's History Month to give his definition of a "woman"—only to show that he doesn't even know his own talking points let alone those of the wider GOP.

This past Friday, Trump attended the swearing-in ceremony for interim U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Alina Habba, where he also took questions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Karoline Leavitt
C-SPAN2

Karoline Leavitt Gives Mind-Boggling Update On Signal Group Chat Scandal—And Critics Are Furious

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was called out after she dismissed reporters' questions amid revelations that Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was invited into a Signal chat with high-level Trump administration officials, particularly Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, discussing military strategy surrounding war strikes in Yemen.

Lawmakers from both parties have increased their calls demanding an investigation into the Signal scandal. The latest push came from Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee, who on Monday sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard calling for an independent probe.

Keep ReadingShow less