Rockdale County scam: Woman loses $17K to fake computer pop-up scam
Rockdale County victim loses 17K in pop-up scam
A Rockdale County woman lost more than $17,000 after scammers targeted her computer with a fake hacking pop-up alert.
ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. - A Rockdale County woman is issuing a public warning after losing over $17,000 to scammers who used a fake computer pop-up message to trick her into draining her accounts.
Rockdale County pop-up computer scam
What we know:
The woman asked FOX 5 not to show her face because she believes the people behind the scam may still have access to her personal information. She hopes sharing her story will keep someone else from becoming a victim.
"I don't want nobody to have to go through this ever again," she said.
The woman said she was on her computer one evening after paying some bills when a message suddenly appeared on her screen.
"It was flashing, saying, ‘Your computer is hacked. Your computer is hacked,’" she said.
She turned the computer off and back on, but the message remained. She claims a phone number appeared on the screen, and she called it believing she was contacting someone who could help. Instead, the woman added the person on the other end, who identified herself as "Chloe," transferred her to a man who claimed to work for the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC.
That man allegedly convinced her that someone had already stolen money from her account and that she needed to move her money to protect it. The woman added that the man told her to go to her bank and withdraw her money.
"He said, ‘Go to the bank and get your money out of the bank,'" the woman added.
The scammers claimed that nearly $3,000 had already been taken from her account and used to make a purchase on a pornographic website. Frightened, she followed their instructions. The man then told her she would receive a new Social Security number and that her money would eventually be returned to her account, but it wasn't.
The woman added that she was directed to several locations to send money.
She made two $2,500 Bitcoin deposits at locations in DeKalb County.
She then went to Walmart, where she says she deposited another $4,000 using barcodes provided by the alleged scammer. When Walmart would not allow her to send more money, she said the man told her to go to Lowe's and purchase gift cards. She spent approximately $6,000 on Lowe's gift cards and another $2,000 on Amazon gift cards.
In total, the woman claims she lost more than $17,000.
The woman's granddaughter eventually realized something was wrong and contacted the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office. By then, the money had already been sent. She said the experience had been devastating.
"It's like a death. I feel so bad. I cry. I have my moments. I bust out and cry. I go to bed, I wake up. It's just mind-boggling," she said.
She said she was able to recover some of the money, but she believes the money sent through the Bitcoin transactions may be gone. Now, she wants others to recognize the warning signs and avoid making the same mistake.
"Go find a job. Go find a real job. Quit trying to take what people have worked their whole life to save. Go find a job," she added.
The woman especially wants families to talk with older loved ones about scams and what to do if someone unexpectedly claims their computer, bank account or Social Security number has been compromised.
Tech support scam identification
What you can do:
If you receive a pop-up claiming your computer has been hacked, don't call a phone number displayed in the pop-up. Instead, close the message and contact the company directly using a phone number or website you know is legitimate.
And if someone tells you to withdraw cash, purchase gift cards or send cryptocurrency to "protect" your money, that should be considered a major warning sign.
If you think you've been targeted by a scam, contact your bank or financial institution immediately and report the incident to law enforcement.
Financial recovery and suspect search
What we don't know:
Investigators have not publicly identified the suspects operating the scam or confirmed if any of the stolen funds sent via Bitcoin can be recovered.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the victim, her family members, and official reporting from the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office.