Lincoln Police Department confirmed that a 85-year-old local man was scammed online and lost $25,000
LINCOLN, Nebraska – According to the Lincoln Police Department, an elderly man was victimized by a computer scam that caused him to lose thousands of dollars.
On Sunday evening, the Los Angeles Police Department received a call involving a possible computer scam. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the victim, a man in his eightieth year, stated to them that he had trouble connecting a new printer to his computer, so he searched for the model on Google and discovered a link for assistance.
LPD stated that the link took him to a phone number, and that the victim granted the unknown individual permission to enter his computer remotely after speaking with them.
After some time had passed, the victim was informed by the police that his bank account had been debited many times for a total of 25,000 dollars.
Avoid Getting Scammed
The Better Business Bureau warns of tech support scams in which scammers pose as support employees of well-known computer companies and hassle victims into paying for their “support.”
More: BBB Scam Alert: Top tricks used to scam older adults
- Never give control of your computer to a third party unless you are absolutely sure it is the representative of a computer support team with whom you initiated contact.
- Legitimate tech support companies don’t make unsolicited phone calls. A popular way for thieves to get in touch with victims is through cold calls. The callers often claim to be from a tech company. Scammers can spoof official-looking phone numbers, so don’t trust Caller ID.
- Look out for warning screens: Nearly half of tech support scams begin with an alert on the victim’s computer screen. This pop-up will have a phone number to call for help. Instead, disconnect from the internet and Wi-Fi by shutting off the device. Restart it and run an antivirus scan.
- Be wary of sponsored links. When searching online for tech support, look out for sponsored ads at the top of the results list. Many of these links lead to businesses that scam consumers.
- Avoid clicking on links in unfamiliar emails. Scammers also use email to reach victims. These messages point consumers to scam websites that launch pop-ups with fake warnings and phone numbers.
