Using pop-up message, scammer gains access to woman's PC
The message featured a convincing Microsoft logo and a phone number for "tech support," which led her to call the number.
Provincial police are urging people to remain vigilant against scammers after an elderly woman fell victim to a fraud scheme.
On September 12, an 84-year-old resident of Marmora and Lake Township near Madoc, Ont., encountered a pop-up alert on her computer that locked all its functions, according to a police press release.
The pop-up message included a voice advising the woman that her computer was compromised and instructed her not to turn it off.
The message featured a convincing Microsoft logo and a phone number for "tech support," which led her to call the number.
A scammer posing as a technician kept the woman on the phone for several hours, during which time they instructed her to log into her online banking and then to leave the device unattended, claiming that the process would take more time.
When she later checked her bank accounts, she found that money had been withdrawn, prompting her to report the incident to the police.
Police believe that other seniors in the Marmora and Lake area may have been targeted with similar fraud tactics.
They advise anyone who encounters such a message to shut down their computer immediately and reach out to a reputable computer service provider.
