(Lincoln, NE) -- A Lincoln man is out hundreds of thousands of dollars due to an online banking scam.
The Lincoln Police Department says on February 22nd, the 74-year-old man turned on his computer and found a pop-up window notifying him his bank account had been “hacked” and gave a phone number to call. Police say the man called the number and was instructed to transfer money to a new account, and additionally to grant remote access to his computer to the rep from “Microsoft” he was speaking to.
Investigators say the rep ultimately assisted the victim in establishing a new bank account and transferring over $210,000 into the new account. LPD says the fraudster had access to the newly established account and took the entire amount of the transferred funds. The scammer specifically advised the victim not to discuss the transfer with anyone.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is encouraged to call Lincoln Police at 402-441-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600. The Lincoln Police Department advises anyone receiving a similar message to contact their financial institution for verification and guidance.