Audio Transcript

Mr. Schiff: Fake phone calls, hundreds of them, are tying up people’s home and cell phones. FBI Special Agent Christian Schorle in Newark, New Jersey says this is called telecommunication denial of service, or TDOS.

Mr. Schorle: “It’s when a person will attack or create a diversion on a telephone, while what’s really happening is they’re looting their bank accounts or their online trading accounts.”

Mr. Schiff: Schorle says someone in Florida lost $400,000 this way. He suggests that you secure all of your financial accounts with major credit bureaus with fraud alerts.

Mr. Schorle: “Make sure passwords for online banking and telephonic banking should be changed regularly and frequently.”

Mr. Schiff: Schorle says you should not give out personal or financial information to anyone you don’t know.

Mr. Schorle: “Anyone who suspects that they’re being targeted by TDOS should immediately contact to immediately contact their financial institution and harden their security on their accounts.”

Mr. Schiff: Also contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov. I’m Neal Schiff of the Bureau, and that’s what’s happening at the “FBI, This Week.”