If you’ve been a victim or know a victim, please contact us and we will try to assist

Technology Scams and Cybersecurity Awareness Month

As I mentioned last week, October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. It’s an important time to review your technology routine.

The National Cybersecurity Alliance urges everyone to focus on the following four ways to stay safe online:

The campaign focuses on the top four ways to stay safe online:

• Use strong passwords and a password manager

• Turn on multifactor authentication

• Recognize and report phishing

• Update software

Stay safe out there,

Scammer Uses Fake Microsoft Pop-Up to Steal $420,000 from 75-Year-Old Boston Man

On October 7, 2024, Urvishkumar Vipulkumar Patel was arrested and charged for participating in a scam that stole $420,000 from a 75-year-old Boston man. This victim was one of many that fell prey to these criminals.

Let’s review what happened and how to spot this scam before it happens to you.

How this Technology Scam Unfolded

Imagine you're at home enjoying your day, when suddenly your computer screen freezes and a pop-up message claims to be from Microsoft. The pop-up message claims your computer is frozen and instructs you to call a phone number for assistance.

What would you do?

Many people would call the number when they see the Microsoft branded pop-up. That’s why scammers use the Microsoft logo - to establish trust and make it easier for you to fall victim to their scheme.

Unfortunately, a 75-year-old Boston man did call the phone number and was connected to an individual who called himself, “Sam Wilson” (the scammer).

“Sam Wilson” claimed to be a federal agent with the US Treasury Department, investigating a money laundering scheme that showed several houses purchased in Russia and the US in the victim’s name.

Wilson instructed the victim to safeguard his money by withdrawing the cash from the bank and sending it to the US Treasury Department, where they would keep it in a lockbox and help the victim avoid any trouble. That’s not all. Wilson then told the victim to withdraw the money in small amounts to avoid any issues with the bank.

Over the next three months, the victim withdrew approximately $420,000. After each withdrawal, the victim was instructed to place the cash in a taped box with his name and address on it and wait for a courier to come by and pick it up. The victim was then instructed to put the box into the car when the courier provided a pre-arranged passcode.

Fortunately, the victim’s sister found out and reported this crime to the FBI. This allowed the FBI to catch and arrest the courier, 21-year-old Urvishkumar Vipulkumar Patel. The courier told the FBI that he had been paid to collect packages like these from other victims for several weeks, and was paid when he dropped off the packages at pre-arranged locations.

Unfortunately, the $420,000 in cash is gone and likely to never be returned to the victim.

How to Protect Yourself from the Pop-Up Scam

The pop-up scam has been used for decades because it works. In fact, last year’s movie, The Beekeeper, bases the plot on scammers using pop-ups to steal money from victims.

The pop-up scam works so well because scammers use the name and logo of trusted brands like Microsoft, Amazon, McAfee, eBay, etc…

To spot the pop-up scam, you should:

1. Be cynical of the pop-up and do NOT click on it

2. If there is a number provided, google the company name and customer service number to verify it. For instance, when you google Microsoft Customer Service number or Microsoft 800 number, you get 1-877-696-7786.

3. If you still feel the need to call the number and get someone claiming to be from the US Treasury Dept, police, IRS, etc…, hang up

4. If the person you are speaking with asks to confirm your name, number, address, etc…., hang up

5. If the person you are speaking with asks you to withdraw money, download an app, or anything that involves your money, hang up

How to Report the Pop-Up Scam

If you’ve been a victim of a cybercrime, contact [email protected]. To report the online scam, please visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center or contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833–FRAUD–11 or 833–372–8311 Monday - Friday, 10a.m.- 6p.m. EST.