Mount Prospect woman loses $1,370 in internet scam

A Mount Prospect woman was scammed out of $1,370 after she received a call in March from a man claiming to represent "Tech Tonic," a computer service company.

The man told the woman her computer had been attacked by a virus and he offered to repair it if she purchased a service contract for $370. The woman used a credit card to pay for the service, police said.

She received another call on Aug. 31. The man told her the company had relocated to the United Kingdom, and they would refund her $370 and add $50 for the cancellation. He led the woman to type codes into her computer, which allowed him to access her computer. He then instructed her to type her social security number and bank account information on a pop up window, police said.

He told her he would send $2,000 to her account, and she should purchase iTunes gift cards for $1,600. When he called her again, she gave him the redemption codes for the gift cards but told him she could only purchase $1,000 in cards, but would send the additional $600 soon. On Sept. 1, she realized she had been scammed, closed her bank accounts and got her credit card company to refund her $370, police said.