Fake Microsoft Pop-Ups Lead to Gold Bar Scam Targeting Seniors for $100M

New York City police are warning seniors about a sophisticated scam that uses fake Microsoft pop-ups to steal life savings. The scheme, which has already drained over $100 million from victims' accounts, involves scammers claiming their computer is infected and instructing them to call a number to unlock the device.

According to Detective Emilio Gomez of the NYPD Financial Crimes Task Force Cybersquad, 'In this process, the victims get coerced to provide remote access to the computers, allowing these perpetrators to gain control.' Once scammers have access, they can steal banking details and even impersonate law enforcement or Treasury personnel to convince victims to convert their savings into gold bars for 'protection.'

The NYPD has been investigating this scam since May 2024, with assistance from Homeland Security, the IRS, and other police agencies. Total losses are estimated to be over $100 million, with some individual victims losing as much as $9 million.

Police urge seniors and their families to stay vigilant and be aware of these tactics. If a message on your computer says it's infected and tells you to call a number, log off instead of responding. And if someone claiming to be from Microsoft or law enforcement demands money or gold, hang up right away.