CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Another day, another scam to be made aware of. That’s exactly what the FBI’s Denver Field Office is doing, because a new scam has presented itself across the Rocky Mountain Region.
That’s according to a release from the Denver FBI, which states that its office is seeing a scam involving free online document converter tools. In the scam, the criminals will use said tools to load malware onto victims’ computers, leading to ransomware and more.
“The best way to thwart these fraudsters is to educate people so they don’t fall victim to these fraudsters in the first place,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “If you or someone you know has been affected by this scheme, we encourage you to make a report and take actions to protect our assets. Every day, we are working to hold these scammers accountable and provide victims with the resources they need.”
According to the release, cyber criminals are conducting their scheme by using any type of free document converter or downloader tool, such as websites claiming to convert one type of file to another, like a .doc file into a .pdf, or claiming to combine files, such as joining multiple .jpg files into one .pdf file. The suspect program could also claim to be an MP3 or MP4 downloading tool.
The release notes that the tools will do what the task advertises, but the resulting file could contain hidden malware which would give criminals access to the victim’s computer. Among other things, these tools can also scrape the submitted files for:
- Personal identifying information, such as social security numbers, dates of birth, phone numbers, etc.
- Banking information
- Cryptocurrency information (seed phrases, wallet addresses, etc.)
- Email addresses
- Passwords
“Unfortunately, many victims don’t realize they have been infected by malware until it’s too late, and their computer is infected with ransomware or their identity has been stolen,” the release states.
The FBI Denver Field Office recommends taking the following actions to protect oneself.
- Take a breath, slow down and think. Be aware of your actions online and what risks you could be exposed to.
- Keep your virus scan software up to date and scan any file you receive before opening it to help eliminate malicious software from being installed on your computer.
Additionally, if you or someone you know is the victim of this scam, you should take the following steps:
- Contact your financial institutions immediately. Take steps to protect your identity and your accounts.
- Change all your passwords using a clean, trusted device.
- Make a report at IC3.gov.
- Run up-to-date virus scan software to check for potentially malicious software installed by the scammers. Consider taking your computer to a professional company specializing in virus and malware removal services.
