The FBI has issued a new Public Service Announcement regarding the nationwide surge in so-called "phantom hacker" scams, which have so far stolen more than $500 million from victims.

The phantom hacker scam bears many similarities to other online scams, but its complexity lies in how this particular scam has succeeded in duping so many victims in such a short time.

Essentially an evolution of the more common tech support scam, it uses several different scammers posing as bank or government employees as well as tech support personnel to make it appear more convincing.

Victims of these phantom hacker scams often lose all of their bank, savings, retirement, and investment accounts, but the elderly are the primary targets because they are more likely to fall for this type of fraud. Nevertheless, if you have elderly parents, grandparents, or family friends, it is worth bringing this scam to their attention, as they are most at risk.

Like many scams, this one begins with the scammer posing as a legitimate company technical or customer support representative and contacting potential victims via phone, text message, email, or a pop-up window on their computer. They are then instructed to call a number for "assistance."

Upon speaking with the scammer on the phone, the scammer instructs the victim to download remote access software for their computer. From here, the scammer pretends to run a scan for viruses before claiming that the computer is at risk of being hacked. Finally, this first scammer tells the victim to open a financial account, check for unauthorized charges, and then call the fraud department of the financial institution.

After speaking on the phone with a second scammer posing as a representative of the financial institution, the victim is informed that his computer and financial accounts have been accessed by foreign hackers. They are then required to transfer the money to a "secure" third-party account, such as an account at the Federal Reserve or other government agency.

The victim is then instructed how to transfer the money via wire transfer, cash, or cryptocurrency. Because of transaction limits, scammers may instruct victims to send money multiple times over a period of days or months. To prevent others from stopping them from doing this, scammers instruct victims not to let anyone know why they are moving money.

If the scammer is not successful, the victim may be contacted by a third imposter posing as an employee of the Federal Reserve or another U.S. government agency. If the victim becomes suspicious at this stage, the scammer may send an email or letter on what appears to be official U.S. government letterhead in order to convince the victim that he or she is doing the right thing.

Phantom hacker scams are certainly complex and involve many different people and procedures. However, that is why they are so successful. For this reason, extra care should be taken when dealing with unsolicited phone calls, texts, and emails.

The FBI suggests that users avoid clicking on unsolicited pop-ups as well as links sent in text messages and e-mails. At the same time, do not download or open attachments that may be included in these messages.

Being asked to download and install some software on your computer is also a serious danger signal and should not be done under any circumstances. Typically, companies can provide remote technical support through a browser, but only scammers will ask you to install remote access software. It is also worth knowing that you should never give control of your computer to anyone.

As we recently warned about the Amazon scam ahead of next month's Prime Big Day, the U.S. government will never ask you to send money to a foreign account or in cryptocurrency or gift cards.

To further protect yourself from malware and other online threats, consider installing and using one of the best antivirus software on your PC, the best Mac antivirus software on your Mac, or the best Android antivirus app on your smartphone You should. It may also be worth investing in the best identity theft protection service to help you quickly recover from a scam or get your identity back after being the victim of a nasty scam.

As the public becomes smarter about the tactics of fraudsters, complex scams such as this phantom hacker scam will become the norm. However, people can avoid falling for scams if they are unemotional and try to maintain a level head. Also, if you have elderly family members or friends, it is a good idea to educate them about these types of scams to keep them safe.