Des Plaines woman scammed out of $500,000, police say

A Des Plaines woman was deceived into giving away an estimated $500,000 in a computer-related scam that lasted more than a year, police said.

The 76-year woman was contacted by phone in December 2023 by someone who claimed to be a Microsoft employee and said her computer was infected with viruses, Des Plaines police said. The caller said he could eliminate the viruses if she paid for the services using bitcoin.

Reports don’t indicate if the woman tried to confirm the caller’s identity with Microsoft, police Cmdr. Matt Bowler said.

The woman repeatedly sent money before contacting authorities this month. The payments were smaller each time, Bowler said.

Police don’t know what led her to eventually report the scam.

People should never send money to strangers when they’re contacted by phone, Bowler said.

“Unless you know the caller to be a trusted source, do not provide money or personal information to people over the phone,” Bowler said.

The FBI received nearly 900,000 complaints about internet crimes in 2023, with losses exceeding $12.5 billion, according to the most recent data available.

Illinois ranked eighth among U.S. states with 15,783 complaints, according to an FBI report. It ranked seventh for total financial losses with $335.8 million.

The FBI recommends people keep computer systems and software up to date, and for them to use reputable anti-virus programs. Additionally, computer users shouldn’t send payments to people or organizations that are requesting money and urging immediate action.

More information about cyber crimes is available on the FBI’s website at fbi.gov/investigate/cyber.