Tech scammers have taken their schemes to a new level by arriving in person at an elderly victim’s residence after remotely accessing her computer and siphoning off thousands of dollars.
The victim resides in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, reports WPRI.
The woman, who has dementia, encountered a pop-up message on her device claiming police would arrive unless she dialed a provided number.
Callers then secured remote control of her computer and her finances once she called.
Suspects later appeared at her Glen Hill neighborhood property claiming to offer on-site technical help but lacked uniforms or official vehicles.
Police were alerted after a bank teller spotted unusually large withdrawals by the woman and notified the law enforcement authorities in the area. Police describe the incident as targeted rather than random, with multiple cash drop-off points involved.
North Kingstown Police Captain John MacCoy Jr. says,
“We believe this was a specifically targeted address. So it’s not someone who is just knocking on doors, soliciting people to look at their computer. This was definitely a targeted event.”
Authorities are seeking an Asian male suspect and encourage anyone with relevant observations from that period to come forward.
Officers stress the importance of verifying any urgent claims directly with banks to avoid panic-driven decisions.
Tech support scams rank among the most common elder fraud types, with Rhode Island seniors reporting millions in losses annually according to FBI data on such schemes.
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