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Wisconsin online account takeover warning
Wisconsin officials are warning residents about online account takeovers, saying scams often begin with phishing emails and can lead to financial losses and identity misuse.
MADISON, Wis. - An email from a friend asking you to support a charity. A warning from a bank that your account is comprised.
These could be legitimate messages. Or they could be a scammer trying to steal your identity.
What scammers can do
What we know:
Wisconsin officials have issued a warning about online account takeovers.
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Losing control over a social media page can upend a life.
"They can try to take over finances, redirect them," said Michelle Reinen, administrator of the Division of Trade and Consumer Protection. "Log in. Change the passwords. Pretend to be you."
How hackers get access
Why you should care:
In 2025, Contact 6 reported on a Trevor woman whose Facebook page was hacked and used to post a fake ad for a car. She said three people sent the scammer money before Facebook removed the page.
It's unclear how the Trevor woman was targeted, but Reinen says it often starts with a link in an email that appears to be from a trusted source. Sensitive information can also be acquired in a data breach.
"You could click that link, and it could load malware onto your computer system," said Reinen. "Then, it's going to read your information while you're logging in the next time to an account."
The scope of the problem
Big picture view:
Scammers can gain access to accounts through phishing attacks, malware, and data breaches. In other cases, victims are tricked into providing login and personal information.
The FBI got 5,200 complaints last year about account takeover fraud, with losses exceeding $262 million.
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Protecting yourself
What you can do:
To protect yourself, use bookmarks for commonly used websites to avoid typos that direct you to scam pages. Change affected passwords if impacted by a data breach.
Be wary of links in emails.
"Don't click that link," said Reinen. "It often redirects you to that scammer, that hacker."
The Source: Information for this report comes from DATCP and past Contact 6 reporting.