>> NOW TO YOU GOT HACKED ON NEWSFOURJAX. I TEAM INVESTIGATION INTO WHAT IS FOR
MOST PEOPLE. THE BIGGEST
PURCHASE WILL MAKE IN A
LIFETIME.
>> BUYING A HOME. BUT ANYTIME
MONEYS INVOLVED. IT’S ALSO A
PRIME TARGET FOR SCAMMERS. I
CAN. INVESTIGATOR IN MAXWELL
SPOKE WITH A LOCAL COUPLE
WHOSE $50,000 DOWN PAYMENT
ENDED UP WITH THE SCAMMER.
SHE’S JOINING US NOW AND
>> TARGET APPEARS THE EMAILS
OF THE CLOSING PROFESSIONALS
HANDLING THIS MORTGAGE LOAN
WERE SPOOFED, MEANING A
SCAMMER CREATED A FAKE EMAIL
PRETENDING TO BE THEM AND
INSERTING THEMSELVES INTO THE
MIDDLE OF A LIFE CHANGING
TRANSACTION.
>> AFTER YEARS OF WORKING AS A
MAIL CARRIER, TONY HALE HAS
HIS EYES ON RETIREMENT.
>> WE JUST WANT TO PAY A HOUSE
OFF, PAY EVERYTHING OFF OUR
CAR PAYMENTS, CREDIT CARDS.
AND IF THING SELL OUR HOUSE,
GET EVERYTHING PAID OFF AND
GET A FRESH START.
>> THEY SOLD THEIR HOUSE IN
JACKSONVILLE AND HIS WIFE,
CHERYL FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS
PLACE IN CALLAHAN JUST DOWN
THE ROAD FROM THEIR
GRANDCHILDREN. JOY, THE HALES
ARE PREPARED TO PUT DOWN
$50,000 HALF THEIR LIFE
SAVINGS SO THEY COULD KEEP
PAYMENTS LOW. AND TONY COULD
WORK LESS OVERTIME AND RETIRE
SOONER. BUT WHAT SHOULD HAVE
BEEN A HAPPY NEW CHAPTER
TURNED INTO A NIGHTMARE. I’VE
NEVER SEEN MUCH IN 3 DAYS
INSTEAD OF GOING INTO THE
CLOSING COMPANY’S BANK
ACCOUNTS, THEIR $50,000 DOWN
PAYMENTS WENT TO A SCAMMER.
THEY RUIN OUR LIFE. THAT WAS
OUR RETIREMENT MONEY. EMAILS
PROVIDED BY TONY SHOW CHERYL
WAS COMMUNICATING WITH
EMPLOYEES AT THE COMPANIES
WORKING WITH HIM ON THE
CLOSING. AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT
SHE THOUGHT. WE NEVER THOUGHT
IT WOULD BE. EVEN A LAWYER
SAID THEY WOULD ENABLE WHO
CHERYL BELIEVED WAS A REAL
ESTATE CLOSER WITH THE LAW
FIRM STARTED ASKING FOR THE
CASH TO CLOSE EMAILING HER 5
TIMES ON JANUARY. 11TH TO ASK
FOR THE MONEY THE MESSAGES
WERE SENT FROM CLOSING DOT
PROCESSING AT G MAIL DOT COM.
BUT PROCESSING IS MISSPELLED.
SPECIAL AGENT CHRISTINE, WHEN
ASKED WITH THE FBI
JACKSONVILLE’S FINANCIAL
CRIMES SQUAD SAYS THAT’S A RED
FLAG. IF THERE’S EVER A CHANGE
OR SOMETHING UNUSUAL LIKE.
>> A LAST MINUTE
>> REQUEST TO EXPEDITE THE
TRANSFER OR OR REQUEST TO
CHANGE WHERE YOU KNOW, THE
FUNDS NEED TO BE SENT, YOU
KNOW, PICK UP THE PHONE. DON’T
REPLY TO THAT. YOU JUST PICK
UP THE PHONE AND
>> AND VERIFY DIFFERENT ROUTE.
BUT CHERYL HAD BEEN WAITING
FOR THE MAGIC WORDS BEFORE
SENDING THE MONEY CLEAR TO
CLOSE. SHE RESPONDED THAT SHE
HADN’T YET RECEIVED THE GO
AHEAD FROM THE MORTGAGE LENDER
AND PLEDGED WILL SEND AS SOON
AS I DO THAT SAME DAY SHE
RECEIVED THOSE MAGIC WORDS IN
ANOTHER EMAIL FROM WHO SHE
THOUGHT WAS THE MORTGAGE
LENDER. BUT IT CAME FROM THE
SAME EMAIL PRETENDING TO BE
THE LAW FIRM EMPLOYEE CLOSING
GOT G MAIL DOT COM.
EVERYBODY’S NAME THAT WE WERE
DEALING WITH WAS ON THAT
LETTER. HAD SHE WIRED THE
MONEY FOR THAN $50,000? TONY
SAYS THEY DIDN’T REALIZE
SOMETHING WAS WRONG FOR ABOUT
2 HOURS AND THEN THE LOAN
OFFICER TOLD THEM TO CALL
THEIR BANK IMMEDIATELY TO TRY
TO CANCEL THE TRANSACTION.
THEY WERE STILL ABLE TO CLOSE,
BUT THEIR MONTHLY PAYMENT WAS
HIGHER AND TONY’S RETIREMENT
PLANS WERE UPENDED. SAYS SHE
SEES SCAMS LIKE THIS WEEKLY.
THESE ARE HIGH DOLLAR
TRANSACTIONS.
>> IN ONE WIRE TRANSACTION,
THEY CAN COME AWAY WITH, YOU
KNOW, $50,000, $100,000,
$500,000. THERE’S A LOT OF
MONEY AND ALL THE ACCOUNT THE
MONEY WENT TO WAS REAL. BUT
SAYS SCAMS LIKE THIS ARE
SOMETIMES PART OF A LARGER
NETWORK WHERE MONEY IS
LAUNDERED THROUGH OTHER
VICTIMS, SOMETIMES THE
>> THE PERSON BECOMES A MONEY
MULE WHERE
>> THEIR BOYFRIEND ONLINE
ASKED THEM TO
>> RECEIVE MONEY TO THEIR
ACCOUNT AND THEN FORWARDED TO
SOMEONE ELSE. HE SAYS
INDUSTRIES WITH HIGH DOLLAR
TRANSACTIONS CAN BE TARGETS OF
SCAMS LIKE THIS IN 2021, THE
FBI SAYS COMPROMISE BUSINESS
EMAIL ACCOUNTS LED TO NEARLY
20,000 COMPLAINTS TO THEIR
INTERNET CRIMES DIVISION AND
RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF NEARLY
2.4 BILLION DOLLARS. CHRIS
HAMER IS AN INTERNET
NETWORKING SECURITY
CONSULTANT. HE SAYS THE
COMPANIES INVOLVED SHOULD DO A
FULL AUDIT OF THEIR SYSTEMS TO
MAKE SURE A BAD ACTOR DIDN’T
GET INSIDE. THEY NEED TO CHECK
AND SEE IF ANY OF THEIR
MACHINES HAVE BEEN
COMPROMISED. A WARNING FOR
HOME BUYERS AND THE
PROFESSIONALS WHO HANDLE THEIR
TRANSACTIONS VERIFY WHO YOU’RE
DEALING WITH AND SECURE YOUR
CYBER NETWORKS. TAKE IT FROM
TONY HALE.
>> WHAT’S THAT LIKE? NOT
KNOWING IF WE GET THAT MONEY
BACK.
>> DEVASTATING.
>> HE’LL SPENT NEARLY 2 MONTHS
WAITING TO SEE IF THEY GET
THEIR NEST EGG BACK. AND I’M
HAPPY TO REPORT LESS THAN A
WEEK AFTER WE SPOKE WITH TONY
HALE, THEIR MONEY WAS
RETURNED. THEIR BANKS FRAUD
DIVISION WAS ABLE TO RECOVER
THEIR FULL $50,000. THE LOAN
ORIGINATOR WITH THE MORTGAGE
COMPANY SAID THIS IS THE ONLY
INCIDENT THEY’VE HAD. RUCK
LIGHT WAS TARGETED BY A
SPOOFED EMAIL LIKE THIS. HE
SAYS THEY’VE SWEPT THEIR
SYSTEM AND RESET PASSWORDS.
THE I TEAM DID ALSO REACH OUT
TO THE LAW FIRM THAT HANDLED
THE CLOSING, BUT THEY DECLINED
TO COMMENT ON OUR
INVESTIGATION.
>> SO AND TALK TO ME ABOUT
WHAT A FAMILY WOULD DO IF
SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW,
WORK WORK TO HAPPEN TO THEM.
>> THAT FBI AGENT SAID IF THIS
HAPPENS TO YOU, YOU NEED TO
REPORT IT IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE
THEY USUALLY HAVE A WINDOW
ABOUT OF ABOUT A DAY OR SO OR
THEY CAN TRY TO REACH OUT TO
YOUR BANK TO GET THEM TO TRY
TO CANCEL THAT TRANSACTION.
JOSH, THANKS FOR THE HEADS UP