Two New York men have been accused of scamming a Massachusetts senior out of $120,000 using a fake computer notification and fraudulent bank communications, according to Quincy police.
The scam began when the victim received an email that appeared to be from Microsoft, stating that her computer was locked and instructing her to call a provided phone number.
“It looks very official,” said Teresa Rogg, describing the deceptive email.
When the victim called, a woman claiming to be from the FDIC informed her that there was suspicious activity on her bank account linked to an online poker website. The scammer then convinced the victim to withdraw large sums of money multiple times, which were handed off to individuals posing as FBI agents.
“The scammer told me to withdraw the money, take it home, take a picture, wrap it in aluminum foil, and put it in a box,” Rogg explained, noting how strange it sounded. “But she assured me this was the safe way and that an officer would come to pick it up.”
Rogg was told her money would be secure in the hands of the “FBI.”
According to police, the scammers had gained access to the victim’s computer and fabricated documents from her bank, the Social Security Administration, and the FDIC to make the scheme appear legitimate.
The victim became suspicious and confided in a friend, leading to police intervention.
Two men, Shaoquin Liu, 27, and Shiwang Ning, 33, both from Brooklyn, New York, were arrested when they arrived to collect the money. They were charged with larceny over $1,200 by false pretenses and conspiracy and were arraigned in Quincy District Court on September 25.
Last year, it’s estimated that American seniors lost over $12 billion to computer and telephone scams.
“Don’t believe them when they tell you not to talk to anyone,” Rogg advised. “Always talk to someone and make sure you’re doing the right thing.”