How Scammers Stole Half a Million Dollars from Unwary AT&T Customers

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AT&T customers were caught in a scam that netted the hackers up to a half-million dollars. This scam affected a handful of customers, some of whom have come forward publicly. Investigators believe more victims may be identified over time.

The scam was allegedly perpetrated by two people, a man and a woman currently being held on a $2 million bond. The man and the woman called into AT&T call centers and pretended to be AT&T workers. The pair allegedly had authentic AT&T employee numbers. It is not yet know how they obtained this information.

During these phone calls, the man and women were given the personal information of AT&T customers from representatives who believed they were talking to authentic employees. The hackers were able to access the customer’s account passwords and any bank accounts or financial information on the user’s account.

One victim, a nurse who was scammed out of $7,000, talked to WMC5 News out of Memphis, TN. She told the newspaper that she received a phone call from AT&T right before Christmas. The representative on the phone told her that her phone was hacked. Within minutes, her PayPal account was compromised, and over $2,000 was sent to an unknown recipient in a series of unauthorized transactions.

Though only one victim has come forward to share her story, investigators are aware of 70 other people who have been affected by this scam. This investigation is in the early stages, and more victims likely will be identified. 

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