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Attempting to fool a 73-year-old Regina woman resulted in the arrest of a 27-year-old Winnipeg man this week, after the victim became suspicious and involved police.
Regina Police Service (RPS) said in a news release on Friday that the man is facing charges following the attempted fraud and extortion of the senior on Feb. 26.
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The woman called police saying she had been using her computer when it stopped working and a notification popped up asking her to contact “Microsoft” and call a number on the screen.
When the woman called, she was told by the scammer that her computer, cell phone, land line and bank account had been hacked.
She told police she was then put in contact with someone whom she was told was an employee at her banking institution, who said all of the money in her bank account would be sent to Russia if she did not withdraw it.
The woman told police that person also told her that if she told anyone, she would be charged with money laundering and arrested. They then arranged to come pick up her money from her home that night.
The woman then withdrew as much money as she could from her account, but became fearful and suspicious and reported the incident to police.
RPS officers were waiting with her at the pre-arranged time, and the Winnipeg man was taken into custody without incident. A search subsequent to the arrest revealed credit cards that did not belong to the suspect.
The man was charged with fraud Over $5,000, extortion and possession of two credit cards and appeared in Regina Provincial Court on Feb. 27.
Police have said fraudsters often leverage urgency and panic to coerce the victim into complying with their requests and demands.
Anyone who’s been a victim of a scam should report it to police. Any suspect scams can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
The centre says people should watch out for urgent-looking messages that pop up while browsing online. Don’t click on them or call the number they provide, they say.
The centre also says no legitimate company will call and claim a computer is infected with a virus.
They also say some websites, such as music, game, movie, and adult sites, may try to install viruses or malware without a user’s knowledge, saying people should watch out for emails with spelling and formatting errors, and be wary of clicking on any attachments or links because they may contain viruses or spyware.
The centre recommends people have anti-virus software installed and keep the operating system up to date.
They also say to never give anyone remote access to a computer but bring it to a local technician.
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