Andy Cohen is talking out about his expertise with changing into a sufferer of an imposter rip-off — and warning others of the crimson flags to look out for with some of these scams.
In an unique interview on TODAY Jan. 10, Cohen informed Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb about how he misplaced cash when his checking account was hacked by an imposter rip-off.
“Hear, I’m not happy with this, nevertheless it’s sufficient that I actually need to share it,” Cohen mentioned. “However right here, it occurred to me, and I simply don’t need it to occur to anybody else.”
Imposter scams occur when a scammer impersonates another person, like a authorities or financial institution worker, to steal a sufferer’s cash or private info, based on the Federal Commerce Fee.
And Cohen isn’t alone — impersonator fraud has been probably the most reported rip-off for years, based on the FTC. Greater than 600,000 instances have been reported within the U.S. in 2023, amounting to greater than $2 billion misplaced, based on the FTC.
What occurred to Andy Cohen?
Cohen mentioned the rip-off began proper after he misplaced his debit card. The subsequent day, the Bravo host mentioned he acquired an e mail that seemed to be from his financial institution’s fraud alert.
“It wasn’t. As a result of I misplaced my card. I used to be like, ‘Oh, this should be actual,'” he mentioned. “I did not click on on the e-mail tackle. You want to click on on the e-mail tackle — though it could say the identify of your financial institution, in case you click on on it, you possibly can see that it isn’t at your financial institution dot com.”
He clicked into the hyperlink within the e mail, which took him to register to his financial institution’s web page, which gave the scammers entry to his account. They then requested him to signal into his Apple ID, which was a crimson flag to him.
“Nobody will ever ask you to your Apple ID. I mentioned, ‘This can be a rip-off.’ I obtained off. I did not assume something of it,” he mentioned.
The subsequent day, he mentioned he obtained a textual content from what seemed to be from his financial institution asking if he was making an attempt to make use of his card. He responded it was not him, after which he obtained a name from an individual who wished to overview his current prices, which he mentioned they might see as a result of that they had entry to his account.
The individual then mentioned they might ship him “some codes,” which they requested him to inform them. They despatched him three codes, which he mentioned have been truly wire transfers out of my checking account.
“I believe I am on with my financial institution, and so they have been so good. Whoever you might be: I hate you, however you are superb at your job,” Cohen mentioned.
Cohen mentioned he was on the telephone with the impersonator for over an hour, and “they then did one thing so nuts.”
They requested him to enter numbers into his keypad, and at that time one thing flashed on his telephone: caller forwarding activated.
“I occurred to take a screenshot of it as a result of I used to be like, ‘That is bizarre,'” he mentioned.
What Cohen did not know was that he had arrange name forwarding and allowed incoming calls to be forwarded on to the scammers, he mentioned.
“When the financial institution known as me to ask me if I used to be doing these wires —as a result of they name you to say that they have been sizable wire transfers — the calls had been forwarded to the hackers,” he shared.
Cohen mentioned he known as his financial institution’s fraud quantity after that, and that they might name him again in about half-hour.
“They by no means known as me again. And so I used to be like, ‘That is bizarre,'” he mentioned. “My telephone was silent all night time.”
Cohen mentioned he went to his financial institution department the next day, and came upon that cash had been wired out of his account. Cohen didn’t disclose the quantity he had misplaced.
“When cash is wired out of your account, it is gone. That is an energetic case with the NYPD Cyber Safety Unit. It’s very simple to fall prey to,” Cohen mentioned. “I’m on the TODAY present speaking it.”
Andy Cohen’s suggestions for avoiding imposter scams
“I contemplate myself a wise, functioning member of society,” Cohen mentioned, earlier than he shared his recommendations on avoiding imposter scams.
“Test the e-mail tackle,” Cohen mentioned. “Completely. Click on on it at all times.”
He additionally mentioned to keep away from the sense of urgency when receiving a textual content or telephone name.
“Take a breath and simply go to your financial institution, or name the quantity on the again of your card you could have it useful,” he mentioned. “Nothing must occur now — a whole lot of instances these individuals name and say, ‘Time is of the essence, you need to do that now. Do not try this.”
The Bravo host mentioned he hoped to get again to his regular speaking factors for his subsequent TODAY present look.
“I do know we need to discuss concerning the ‘(Actual Housewives of) Salt Lake Metropolis’ reunion, however that is severe and I actually don’t need this to occur to anybody.”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. Extra from TODAY:
