A victim who fell prey to scammers who pretended to represent Apple Security was cheated out of $20,818 after he provided them with personal information and also allowed them to take control of his computer, according to the Hopewell Township Police Department.
In the incident, which was reported on Sept. 12, the victim said he began receiving text messages in August from someone whom he believed was an Apple Security representative. The text messages warned him of attempts to steal his money through cryptocurrency.
The victim called the phone number in the text messages and spoke to a man who identified himself as “Jim Page.” The victim provided the suspect with his personal identifying information and was transferred to a second suspect who asked him to share his computer screen, police said.
Granting the second suspect access to his computer screen allowed the suspect to have full access to the victim’s computer. As a result, the victim’s bank account was compromised. The scammer transferred $20,818 from the victim’s savings account to a Coinbase account.
