MONEYGRAM customers have been urged to check their bank statements after the financial giant was hit by a data breach.
Last month, hackers reportedly accessed information from Social Security numbers to bank accounts.
MoneyGram has confirmed it was the victim of a hack[/caption]
The hack attack happened between September 20 and 22, a company told USA Today.
Chiefs at the money transfer company have issued a series of instructions to customers.
A spokesperson revealed that the company had drafted a team of cybersecurity experts to investigate the attack.
They also urged customers to check bank statements.
Company bosses are offering extra security measures to their customers.
“We have arranged to offer affected U.S. consumers identity protection and credit monitoring services for two years at no cost to you,” they said.
MoneyGram bosses apologized for what had materialized.
It wasn’t just Social Security numbers and bank account details hackers could get their hands on.
The company confirmed that government-issued documents such as driving licenses were put at risk.
Scammers were reportedly able to see customers’ statements.
The security scare saw MoneyGram services unavailable for several days.
But chiefs appeared to rule out the service was the victim of a ransomware attack, as reported by Bleeping Computer.
“We have no evidence that this issue involves ransomware, nor do we have any reason to believe that this has impacted our agents’ systems,” they said.
MoneyGram has shared a series of tips designed to protect consumers from fraud.
Bank tips for avoiding scams
As scams become more sophisticated with the use of artificial intelligence, it is important you know how to spot a scam:
- Be skeptical of online deals that seem too good to be true, especially on social media.
- Scammers will often use tactics to make you panicked so you make quick decisions – be cautious if you are told to take immediate action and verify who has contacted you.
- Chase Bank warns customers to “never return any unexpected funds without calling Chase first.”
- Never send money to someone you have only spoken to online or by phone as this is likely a romance scam.
- Unless you 100% know who you are talking to, never give someone remote access to your device.
- Never accept help from strangers at an ATM and always be vigilant when making withdrawals.
- Do not send money or click any links indicating that you have won a prize.
Source: Chase.com
Americans have been urged to be wary of the messages they receive.
They should not take messages claiming they’ve won a prize at face value.
This is because if it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.
Customers have been urged never to send money to accounts they do not recognize.
“Remember wiring money is like sending cash,” the company warned.
“When you send it, it’s gone – you can’t get it back.”
