MONTGOMERY, Ala. – AARP Alabama is alerting residents across the state to a troubling new scam in which criminals impersonate representatives of “Publishers Clearing House” and use FaceTime calls to exploit victims through facial recognition technology.
According to reports received by AARP’s Fraud Watch Network, scammers are contacting individuals – often older adults – claiming they have won a large cash prize or sweepstakes. The criminals then persuade victims to engage in a FaceTime video call under the guise of verifying their identity or confirming prize details. During these calls, scammers capture images or video of the victim’s face, which they may attempt to use to access banking or financial accounts that rely on facial recognition security features.
“This is a particularly alarming twist on a long-running scam,” said AARP Alabama State Director Candi Williams. “Criminals are combining familiar tactics with newer technologies to gain access to people’s personal and financial information. We urge all Alabamians to remain vigilant and skeptical of unsolicited prize notifications.”…