Girl loses $17,000 in present card rip-off perpetrated by Microsoft safety impostor

CHICAGO (CBS) — Two shops, 34 present playing cards, $17,000 – a suburban shopper informed one retailer’s safety that the acquisition was for a marriage present.

Now, she is paying for that fib. As CBS 2’s Lauren Victory reported, the girl was actually the sufferer of a scary rip-off that left her betrayed and broke.

Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg was the location of a post-Christmas procuring spree that Cynthia DeSimone nonetheless regrets months later – and it wasn’t her thought in any respect.

“Dumb. You do. You’re feeling silly – as a result of I think about myself fairly good, you realize?” mentioned DeSimone, tearing up as she recapped the irritating state of affairs that started in January.

A message with audio popped up on her laptop whereas she was on-line banking. She took a shaky recording of it to point out her extra tech-savvy relations.

“Please don’t try and shut down or restart your laptop,” the recording mentioned.

“The video is instructing me, saying, ‘Please name help instantly since you’re compromised,'” mentioned DeSimone – who panicked and known as the quantity on the display screen that confirmed a Microsoft sign beside it.

“It seems to be actual. The logos are there. They reply they usually’re very calm,” she defined.

In accordance with DeSimone, the Microsoft impostor informed her that hackers had her monetary data, however she ought to head to the closest mall and purchase present playing cards to max out the bank cards the scammers had so that they could not purchase something.

They urged her to rush up.

“They’re simply so good at ensuring you possibly can’t assume,” mentioned DeSimone.

DeSimone listened and spent $9,000 at Macy’s and one other $8,000 at JCPenney – the place safety even questioned her unusually massive buy.

“I informed them [JCPenney security] precisely what these Microsoft males informed me – that [the gift cards] are wedding ceremony; for wedding ceremony presents,” DeSimone mentioned.

She left the mall with 34 present playing cards price $17,000, then learn all the cardboard numbers and corresponding pins to faux buyer help who promised DeSimone the shops would reimburse her.

After all, that did not occur.

“I used to be robbed, so I do not need anybody else to really feel like this,” she mentioned, getting teary-eyed once more.

A quick search for “Microsoft Windows Defender Scam” exhibits the same alarming message has popped up for many individuals up to now 12 months – however not everybody falls as exhausting as DeSimone.

“I did not have any peace,” she mentioned about her cause for doing the interview with CBS 2. As a girl of religion, she feels God could also be utilizing her wrestle to show others.

Macy’s and Capital One finally refunded her $9,000.

Just lately, DeSimone, who’s on a set revenue, paid off her U.S. Financial institution invoice for the $8,000 cost at JCPenney to keep away from getting despatched to collections. For months, that retailer and that financial institution have refused to present her a refund. DeSimone tells us that U.S. Financial institution informed her it might’t give her the cash if the seller does not agree.

She mentioned JCPenney closed her case and located her liable.

“They mentioned you got here in and obtained the product that you simply wished,” DeSimone mentioned.

We known as the client help quantity that popped up on DeSimone’s display screen. It was disconnected.

In the meantime, U.S. Financial institution mentioned they’re trying into the case.