The Lawrence Police Department issued a warning Friday about a scam in which a caller asks potential victims to download a computer program, then hacks their bank accounts.
Police received two calls about the scam at the same time Friday, according to a Facebook post from the department. And they’ve received about half a dozen similar calls in the past week.
“One person lost $10,000. The other, hopefully, called in time to prevent loss,” according to the post.
The scammer calls and tells the victim about a Windows “security issue.” The scammer then tells the victim to call a number and download a program, according to the post.
“Unbeknownst to the victim, the scammer is now tapped into their screen and tells them to check their bank account for loss,” according to the post. “Everything looks fine; but the scammer now has their login and account information.”
After hanging up the call, the scammer starts wiring money, according to the post.
“Please warn family, friends and neighbors who may not be on social media,” LPD asks. “These cases are nearly impossible to solve and are heartbreaking to work.”
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August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
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