CLAYTON – An elderly Johnston County resident lost $8,000 after a hacker took over his computer. The incident was recently reported to law enforcement.
The 72 year-old victim said he was on his computer when a popup screen appeared, claiming there was an urgent message from Microsoft. He was instructed to call a number and provide remote access to the scammer, who pretended to be a Microsoft employee, so they could stop a computer virus.
Instead, the scammer gained control of the computer and demanded $8,000 before they would relinquish control. Unfortunately, the victim obtained $8,000 in prepaid cards and provided the card numbers.
The scammers never relinquished control of the victim’s computer. He had to take it to a computer repair shop for assistance.
