WAXHAW, N.C. — WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" If you need help, reach out to WCNC Charlotte by emailing money@wcnc.com.
Shortly after the March 2024 cyber security scare affecting AT&T customers, James Walker said he was targeted in a phishing scam.
The Waxhaw, North Carolina resident said he received an eVite, or electronic invite, from a friend that looked legitimate. At the bottom of the email, there was a click button to "view invitation."
"I opened it up and it asked for my password. I said, 'okay'. And it's somebody I know and I trust, and I open it up, and nothing happened," he said.
However, soon after opening up the so-called invitation, Walker's contacts received fake invitations under his name.
"I sent text messages to just about all the friends that I know that I got their emails, just to let them know that this is going out under my name, and there's nothing going on. So don't open it up."
Because his email uses an AT&T extension, Walker said he was concerned this latest phishing scam might be connected to the company's data breach; AT&T's data set had been released on the dark web in March, affecting millions of current and past customers.
Walker's incident happened on April 1.
"In my opinion, this was a subtle way for whoever's doing this to get more information and it sounds legit," he said.
Walker reported the incident to AT&T and abandoned the email address to prevent further breaches.
A spokesperson for AT&T told WCNC Charlotte anchor and reporter Jane Monreal the issue Walker experienced did not appear to be related to the data set recently released on the dark web.
Experts say the incident serves as a stark reminder to be cautious online especially when it comes to giving out your personal information.
Contact Jane Monreal at jmonreal@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte's Where's The Money series is all about leveling the playing field in the Carolinas by helping others and breaking down barriers. WCNC Charlotte doesn't want our viewers to be taken advantage of, so we’re here to help. Watch previous stories where we ask the question “Where’s the Money” in the YouTube playlist below and subscribe to get updated when new videos are uploaded.