After big corporations and the government agencies, hackers
are now targeting individuals. The hackers stole $240,000 from a local
businessman’s bank account in Mahwah by hijacking his phone number.
According to a report published on CSB New York, at first, the
hackers followed and observed the local businessman and gained enough his personal
information to convince his bank to wire $240,000 overseas.
Chief of Police James Batelli said that the phone number of
the businessman had been hijacked so when the bank called to verify the hackers
answered. However, the bank did not get a clue that it was talking to the
hackers overseas.
“That is call
forwarded to Brussels and the person on that end answers all the proper
security questions, which was social security numbers, mother’s maiden name,
hospital they were born in; and the bank thinks they’re talking to the person
authorized to allow that transfer to go through,” said Batelli.
Batelli said that in order to protect personal information,
people should regularly change their security questions.