MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Manatee County deputies are searching for the people responsible for stealing thousands from an 88-year-old woman through a tech support scheme.
It began when a message popped up on the woman's computer from what appeared to be Apple Support saying there were threats to her Mac security. When the woman called the listed phone number, a person told her that federal authorities were investigating her and that her financial data was at risk.
According to the sheriff's office, the woman was led to believe that her computer was used to authorize a transaction for child porn and that if she didn't pay, she would face criminal charges.
Over the next several days, the woman was reportedly coerced into creating new bank accounts, wiring money, withdrawing cash and delivering envelopes of money to unknown people.
While detectives investigate this case, they are urging everyone to take steps to protect themselves from scams by:
- Making sure anti-virus software is up to date
- Resisting pressure to act quickly
- Never giving unverified people remote access to your devices
If you do get scammed, the sheriff's office says you should notify law enforcement, contact your bank in person or by calling the number on the back of your card, and change all passwords if the scammer has gained access to your device.
"Fraudsters are using this tactic to first scare vulnerable victims into thinking they have a problem with their computer, then create fear of public humiliation and a threat of criminal prosecution to steal their money," the sheriff's office said.
