Tech Support Scam Costs a 90-Year-Old Woman $20,000, and How You Can Protect Yourself

A senior woman looking stressed during a phone call

Phyllis Weisberg is 90, lives independently, and uses her phone and laptop every day to stay in touch with family. She is exactly the kind of confident, capable older adult most people would assume could spot a scam. She could not, and it cost her $20,000.

It started with a pop-up: an on-screen warning claiming her device was infected, with a phone number to call immediately. Believing she was getting real help, Phyllis called the number and was walked through steps that gave the caller remote access to her computer. Before she realized what was happening, the scammer had moved into her bank account and taken $20,000.

Phyllis has not gotten her money back. What she has done instead is tell her story publicly, in her own words: "All I can do is warn other people and just hope that this will help one person to avoid doing this." Tech support scams like this one are not rare. In 2024 alone, adults 60 and older lost nearly $982 million to tech support fraud, a 167% jump from the year before.

5 Lessons You Can Learn From Phyllis’s Scam

1.

Real Tech Companies Don’t Call You First

Legitimate tech support never proactively phones you, pops up a warning demanding a call, or emails you out of the blue about a virus.

How to Protect Yourself

  • Treat any unsolicited “your computer is infected” message as a scam, full stop.
  • Close the browser or restart the device instead of calling any number shown on the screen.

2.

Never Give a Stranger Remote Access to Your Computer

Once someone can see and control your screen, they can find their way into your banking and email in minutes.

How to Protect Yourself

  • Never install remote-access software at the request of someone who called or messaged you first.
  • If you already use remote-support software with a trusted family member or IT helper, know exactly who is allowed to use it.

3.

Verify Through a Number You Already Know

Scammers count on you calling the number on the fake warning instead of your bank’s or device maker’s real support line.

How to Protect Yourself

  • Look up your bank’s or manufacturer’s support number yourself, never from a pop-up.
  • If in doubt, hang up and call a family member first.

4.

Set Up Bank Alerts and Check Statements Often

Phyllis’s loss happened fast. Alerts can catch a fraudulent transfer within minutes instead of weeks.

How to Protect Yourself

  • Turn on text or email alerts for any transaction over a set amount.
  • Review your bank and credit card statements at least monthly.

5.

Speak Up, Even If It’s Embarrassing

Phyllis chose to share her story publicly specifically so it could help someone else. Silence protects scammers, not victims.

How to Protect Yourself

  • If it happens to you, report it to your bank immediately and to the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov.
  • Tell a family member or friend. They may be targeted next.

Final Takeaway: Confidence With Technology Isn’t Immunity

Phyllis used her phone and computer every day and still lost $20,000 in a matter of minutes. The habit that protects you isn’t tech savvy. It’s the pause before you call a number a stranger put on your screen.

Sources & References

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