A new pop-up scam is asking victims to call what they think is their own bank, but the person on the other end is a scammer. The process is convincing enough to fool anyone who’s not careful.

John Jordan, IT Specialist at ECPI University’s Greenville campus, spoke with WSPA 7 News about how this pop-up scam works and why it’s so hard to spot. WSPA 7 News is the Nexstar-owned station serving Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, and Pickens, South Carolina, and Asheville and Hendersonville in North Carolina.

Reporter Diane Lee covered the threat in a story about an Upstate woman who nearly lost $15,000. Read the full story to learn how the scam unfolds and what to watch for.

How does the fake “you’ve been hacked” pop-up scam work?

The scam starts with a pop-up saying your device or bank account has been hacked, with a phone number to call. Then the scammer tells you to dial the customer service number on the back of your own bank card. That’s exactly what scam warnings tell you to do, so the call feels legit.

The pop-up can show up on an ordinary website through the ads it displays. "And unbeknownst to the hosts of the websites, these may be sold out from time to time to malicious actors that don’t always have your best interest in mind," Jordan says.

The phone call is where things get more convincing. With digital phone technology, scammers can announce a transfer to a “secure line” and play automated-sounding tones. Callers don’t realize they’re really being handed off to a second scammer who then attempts to steal their money.

The pressure of the moment is what ties it all together. Scammers don’t give you time to think, so if a caller insists you stay on the line, treat it as a red flag. The Federal Trade Commission reports that Americans lost $3.5 billion to imposter scams last year, and many of the biggest losses started with someone posing as a bank, business, or tech support rep.

How is ECPI University training students to spot and stop online scams?

ECPI University prepares students for scams like this one through its cybersecurity program. Through hands-on simulations that mirror real-life work, students learn how cyberattacks work and how to stop them.

Faculty also use their expertise to help the communities around them. When a fake MyChart email scam spread across the country, faculty member Scott Gibson explained to Hampton Roads viewers how it works and how to protect themselves.

Scams like these work best when people face them alone and in a hurry. Stopping them takes educators and neighbors all sharing what they know, and every person who learns the warning signs makes things harder for the next scammer.