Woman loses more than $50,000 in internet pop-up scam

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - The Lincoln Police Department says a woman fell victim to an internet pop-up scam where she lost more than $50,000.

According to LPD, last week a 66-year-old man called police to report a fraud.

Police said the man explained that his 85-year-old mother fell for an internet scam when she got a pop-up on her computer that said a stranger was utilizing her computer for online gaming.

LPD said the woman then called the number given in the pop-up to fix the issue. From there LPD said the woman got a call from a stranger pretending to be with her bank where they told her to go to the bank, transfer $53,000 to a separate account based in California.

Related: Scams targeting seniors have more than doubled since 2020

According to police, the scammer told the woman the people responsible could then be apprehended by law enforcement when they withdrew funds from the account in California.

LPD said the woman went to her bank and completed the transfer.

The woman’s son was then made aware and is working with her bank to determine if the funds can be recovered.

LPD is reminding everyone: if you are contacted and someone requesting that you provide payment or move funds, it is always advisable to end the call, hang up and place an independent call to the company to verify authenticity of the request.

Avoid Getting Scammed

Law enforcement said scammers are convincing and use tactics that can seem legitimate. If you feel unsure, it’s always okay to hang up, take a second look at information received and reach out to someone you trust.

More: BBB Scam Alert: Top tricks used to scam older adults

You can also reduce the number of unsolicited calls by registering your phone number with the National Do-Not-Call registry at 1-888-382-1222 or Donotcall.gov.

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