A retired couple from Mentor, Ohio, is reeling after falling victim to a sophisticated online scam that drained their entire nest egg. The 73-year-old man, who wishes to remain anonymous, was using his iPad when a pop-up warning appeared, claiming his financial accounts were in danger.
The Deceptive Alert
The fraudulent pop-up urged him to take immediate action to secure his funds, providing a phone number to call for assistance. Concerned about the security of his savings, he dialed the number and was connected to a person posing as a bank representative.
The imposter warned him that hackers had infiltrated his account and instructed him to withdraw all his money to safeguard it in a so-called “secure account.”
“I was skeptical at first,” he admitted, “but they sounded so convincing, and they even had someone else confirm the story.”
A Carefully Orchestrated Fraud
To further build trust, the scammer provided a contact for a supposed cybersecurity expert who reinforced the claim that immediate action was necessary. Reassured by their urgent warnings, the retiree visited two separate banks and withdrew a total of $45,000—his and his wife’s entire retirement savings.
Despite questions from bank employees about the large withdrawals, he followed the scammer’s instructions and claimed he was making a major purchase.
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“I was told to keep quiet because someone at the bank could be involved in the fraud,” he recalled.
The Costly Drop-Off
Under the scammer’s direction, he delivered the money in a box to a prearranged location along Mentor Avenue. A second suspect, pretending to be a federal banking official, met him in a parking lot, provided him with a fake account number, took the cash, and disappeared.
It wasn’t until the scammer later demanded additional funds that the retiree realized he had been tricked.
“If I ever see that guy again, I don’t know what I’d do,” he said, frustrated and devastated.
A Hard Lesson Learned
The victim reported the incident to the Mentor Police Department, hoping that security footage might lead to an arrest, though he fears the money is gone for good.
Determined to prevent others from experiencing the same misfortune, he’s now sharing his story as a warning.
“Never trust these pop-ups,” he advised. “Ignore them, close them, and never call any numbers they provide. It’s just not worth the risk.”
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