A Troy woman lost nearly $35,000 recently in an online scam — believing she was resolving a computer hacking incident but actually fell victim to one, police said.
According to the Troy Police Department, the woman said the ruse started when she got a pop-up message stating her computer was locked and to contact a number provided, purported to be for Microsoft Security. She did so, and was told her computer had been hacked and her bank account compromised, police said.
The woman was convinced to withdraw $24,900 from her account and send it via Bitcoin, then purchase $10,000 in Nordstrom gift cards — and provide the card numbers to the scammer. She then realized she’d been ripped off and notified her credit union where she was told the funds weren’t recoverable, police said.
To avoid falling victim to such scams, Benjamin Hancock offers this advice: “Do not ever pay for things or invest in something with Bitcoin or gift cards.”
As previously reported, police say it’s unlikely such scammers will be caught and prosecuted.
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