Phantom Hacker Scam
An FBI-named, multi-phase impersonation scam that moves a victim through fake 'tech support', then a fake 'bank fraud department', then a fake 'government official' to convince them to move their savings to a 'safe' account the scammers control.
Also known as: Phantom Hacker, phantom hacker fraud, three-phase tech support scam
Last reviewed: 27 July 2026
The Phantom Hacker scam is a layered evolution of the tech-support scam, named by the FBI for the imaginary 'foreign hacker' the scripts invoke. It unfolds in three coordinated phases, often over days, each played by a different 'official' to build overwhelming credibility.
Phase one is tech support: a pop-up, call, text, or email warns that the victim's computer or accounts are compromised and gives a number to call. The 'technician' gains remote access and claims to find hackers or foreign intrusions, then transfers the victim to phase two — the 'fraud department' of their bank or a financial institution, which confirms the accounts are under attack. Phase three brings in a supposed government official (often invoking a federal agency) who instructs the victim that the only way to protect their money is to move it — by wire, cash, crypto, or gold — to a new 'safe' or 'government' account, and to keep it secret. The account belongs to the scammers.
The defining tell is any sequence of officials who converge on the same instruction: move your money to protect it. No bank or government agency ever tells you to transfer your savings to a safe account, and older adults are disproportionately targeted.