Ohio Woman Duped Out of $30,000 in Tech-Support Scam

A 71-year-old Ohio woman was targeted by scammers who convinced her to withdraw $30,000 in cash from her bank account. The scheme began on July 17 when a fake Microsoft warning appeared on her computer screen, instructing her to call the company.

The person who answered claimed there were child-pornography and gambling problems connected with her computer and that someone was trying to access her bank account. They convinced her to move her money to protect it.

According to News 5 Cleveland, the instructions led her to withdraw $30,000, hide the real reason from her bank, and deliver the cash to a stranger in a parking lot. The scammers coached her on what to say if a bank employee questioned such a large withdrawal, telling her she was remodeling her home.

The woman described handing over the cash to an Asian man in his early 20s, about 5 feet 5 inches tall and of medium build, who took the shoebox containing the money and left. She eventually realized she had been deceived and filed a police report.