What are the red flags of this scam?

You are contacted first — by pop-up, cold call, or text — claiming your computer or bank account is at risk • After the tech support call, a second caller presents as your bank's fraud department, confirming the 'breach' • A third caller, claiming to be the FBI, Federal Reserve, FTC, or Treasury, says to move your money to a 'government-secured account' • No government agency ever operates 'safe' or 'escrow' accounts for civilians — any such instruction is the scam itself • You are told to keep the entire matter secret from family and bank employees — secrecy is the scam's most important tool • The caller stays on the phone while you withdraw cash, wire funds, or visit a gold dealer • A courier may arrive at your home or a parking lot to collect cash or gold bars • You receive official-looking documents, case numbers, or fake government letterhead by email or physical mail to build credibility • A letter arrives by mail on fake FTC or government letterhead claiming you are under federal investigation — the letter sets up follow-up calls demanding gift cards; the real FTC never initiates contact this way

What should I do if this happened to me?

Hang up immediately — no legitimate handoff from tech support to a bank to a government official ever happens by phone • Never wire money, buy gold, or send cryptocurrency at the direction of any unsolicited caller, no matter what agency they claim to represent • The Federal Reserve, FBI, FTC, IRS, and SSA do not operate 'safe' or 'escrow' accounts where civilians can park money — no such account exists • Call your actual bank directly using the number on the back of your card or on your official statement — not any number the caller provides • Tell a trusted family member immediately — the instruction to keep it secret is itself the biggest red flag • If a courier has arrived and you feel unsafe, do not open the door; call 911 • If you installed any 'support' or 'server' or 'refund app' or remote-access app at the scammer's request (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, etc.), run free SeraphSecure (https://www.seraphsecure.com) to detect and remove it. • Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.

CRITICAL tech support Last reported: Oct 19, 2026 Share

A Microsoft technician says your accounts are hacked — then the FBI calls to move your money

Q: Is this a scam?

Yes. This is a documented scam pattern. A three-phase scam — fake tech support installs remote access software, a fake banker confirms 'account compromise,' then a fake government agent directs you to wire funds, buy gold, or hand cash to a courier — to empty your savings.

A three-phase scam — fake tech support installs remote access software, a fake banker confirms 'account compromise,' then a fake government agent directs you to wire funds, buy gold, or hand cash to a courier — to empty your savings.

Also known as: phantom hacker scam, three-phase tech support scam, fake government safe-account scam, Microsoft FBI account-transfer scam, tech support to government transfer scam

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
! If you installed any "support", "server", "refund", or remote-access app at their request (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, etc.): disconnect the internet now, then run free SeraphSecure (https://www.seraphsecure.com) to detect and remove it.

What to do right now

1 Hang up immediately — no legitimate handoff from tech support to a bank to a government official ever happens by phone
2 Never wire money, buy gold, or send cryptocurrency at the direction of any unsolicited caller, no matter what agency they claim to represent
3 The Federal Reserve, FBI, FTC, IRS, and SSA do not operate 'safe' or 'escrow' accounts where civilians can park money — no such account exists
4 Call your actual bank directly using the number on the back of your card or on your official statement — not any number the caller provides
5 Tell a trusted family member immediately — the instruction to keep it secret is itself the biggest red flag
6 If a courier has arrived and you feel unsafe, do not open the door; call 911
7 If you installed any 'support' or 'server' or 'refund app' or remote-access app at the scammer's request (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, etc.), run free SeraphSecure (https://www.seraphsecure.com) to detect and remove it.
8 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.

Was remote-access software installed?

If a scammer asked you to install AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Support, or any remote-access app, your device may still be compromised.

Run SeraphSecure to detect and remove it →

Red flags

⚠ You are contacted first — by pop-up, cold call, or text — claiming your computer or bank account is at risk
⚠ After the tech support call, a second caller presents as your bank's fraud department, confirming the 'breach'
⚠ A third caller, claiming to be the FBI, Federal Reserve, FTC, or Treasury, says to move your money to a 'government-secured account'
⚠ No government agency ever operates 'safe' or 'escrow' accounts for civilians — any such instruction is the scam itself
⚠ You are told to keep the entire matter secret from family and bank employees — secrecy is the scam's most important tool
⚠ The caller stays on the phone while you withdraw cash, wire funds, or visit a gold dealer
⚠ A courier may arrive at your home or a parking lot to collect cash or gold bars
⚠ You receive official-looking documents, case numbers, or fake government letterhead by email or physical mail to build credibility
⚠ A letter arrives by mail on fake FTC or government letterhead claiming you are under federal investigation — the letter sets up follow-up calls demanding gift cards; the real FTC never initiates contact this way

Known variants

A physical threatening letter on fake FTC letterhead claims the recipient is under investigation for money laundering or terrorism. Follow-up calls demand prepaid gift cards to avoid criminal charges. Victims who push back are told they are being recorded. The real FTC never sends such letters or demands gift card payment.

Last seen: 10/19/2026
Scammer schedules a video call showing a staged background resembling a real FBI or federal agency office with an official seal, using AI or props to appear as a government agent on Zoom or Teams

Last seen: 10/4/2026

Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes

What to do right now

Red flags

Known variants

Sources