NY and PA — Senior citizens are being warned to be on the lookout for a new scam, the Phantom Hacker, which involves convincing victims that their financial accounts have been hacked.

According to the FBI, perpetrators of the Phantom Hacker scheme gain the trust of victims in three phases: First, they pose as a tech support representative and convince the victim to download a piece of software. Then they call a second time, pretending to be from the victim’s bank or another financial institution. Finally, they claim to be an employee of a federal agency.

The goal is to convince people to move their money into an “alias” account, where the scammers can steal it. The scam can include emails, texts, phone calls and even letters sent via the U.S. Postal Service. Residents should be extremely cautious when receiving unsolicited texts, phone calls or emails that could lead scammers straight to your bank account. Think twice before providing any personal information. If you are at all suspicious, call your financial institution directly using a phone number you know to be affiliated with the institution.

Victims are urged to report any fraudulent or suspicious activities to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov. Suspected fraud can also be reported at www.ReportFraud.ftc.gov.