A new phishing scam is targeting people in the Charlotte, NC area according to the Charlotte division of the FBI: An e-mail that appears to be from the National Automated Clearing House Association alerts recipients to a problem with a direct deposit transaction at their banks and says it was not processed. The email advises recipients to click a link to enter the secure section of a website, but instead launches a virus that can monitor keystrokes and steal online banking credentials, the FBI said.
Once an account is compromised, the hackers attack the financial institution as a distraction while they send fraudulent wire transfers to jewelry stores, officials said. Then, the FBI says, couriers pick up the jewelry "electronically," paid for using money from hacked accounts.
The FBI Charlotte Cyber Squad said users shouldn’t clicks links in emails from someone they weren’t expecting an email from. If consumers ever receive an email alert about a problem with bank accounts, they should call the bank directly, officials said.
