Hackers Drain $20K from Houston Cosplay Café Despite Cybersecurity Precautions

Hackers Drain $20K from Houston Cosplay Café Despite Cybersecurity PrecautionsBy Deven Clarke | KPRC Click2Houston

A Houston entrepreneur’s dream is hanging by a thread after cybercriminals stole nearly $20,000 from her business bank account—even though she followed all recommended security practices.

Gabriela Clemons, owner of Kumarama Cafe and Retail Shop, a newly opened cosplay anime-themed café in Spring, Texas, says the cyberattack could force her to shut down. The theft occurred just months after opening her doors in October 2024.

“We opened this ourselves with just everything, our savings and a little bit of a loan,” said Clemons. “There was nothing like that in this area of town.”

Clemons, a certified public accountant with cybersecurity training, followed industry-standard protection steps. She manually typed in her bank’s official website and completed two-factor authentication. Still, she discovered an unauthorized wire transfer of $19,230 after logging into her Chase account.

Cybersecurity expert Tim Howard, founder of Fortify Experts, says the attack likely originated from malicious software already on her computer.“If she typed in the Chase.com address, it’s possible there was an attacker already in her laptop watching what was going on,” said Howard.

The theft has left Clemons with difficult decisions:

• Hours cut for her only employee

• Inventory shipments canceled

• Uncertainty around staying open

To make matters worse, Chase has reportedly told Clemons they will not reimburse the stolen funds.

Howard says one of the best ways small businesses can defend themselves is through endpoint protection—software that monitors devices for suspicious behavior and blocks unauthorized access.

Cybersecurity Tips for Small Business Owners:

• Use strong endpoint protection software

• Implement secure login protocols with two-factor authentication

• Add multiple security layers for financial transactions

• Monitor all account activity regularly

• Use unique, encrypted passwords and store them in a secure password manager

Gabriela Clemons did everything right—and still lost nearly $20,000. Her story is a stark reminder that even cautious, tech-savvy business owners can become targets. As wire fraud and cyber theft rise, business owners must go beyond the basics to protect their financial stability.

For more resources on endpoint protection, visit fortifyexperts.com.

Source: Click2Houston News