Phoenix FBI says crooks now using virtual meeting sites in business email scam

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Officials are warning Arizonans to be on the lookout for a different twist on a popular scam. Scammers are now using virtual meeting platforms and sites like Zoom and Teams to hack emails or pretend to use someone else’s credentials to wire money. It’s part of the business email compromise scam, which was No. 1 in the state with the most money loss in the last five years — totaling over $22 million lost.

The money sent to the hackers is converted to cryptocurrency and cashed out, which means getting your money back is more complicated, the FBI said. In the past, scammers have hacked into personal and work emails to wire cash to fake bank accounts. Hackers also duped people into sending personal information by requesting W-2 forms or large amounts of gift cards.

The following tips may help protect your or your company from scammers:

• Double check the email header
• Set up two-factor authentication
• Be cautious of requests to buy gift cards or if someone asks you to send gift card numbers and pins
• Watch out for grammatical errors
• Contact the person or company directly to verify payment changes
• Be cautious of what you post on social media that scammers may exploit

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