Elderly Hingham Man Falls Victim to Computer Scam

HINGHAM, MA - Police in Hingham are reminding residents to watch out for scams after a 79-year-old resident fell victim to one.

On Feb. 20, the resident received a recorded call informing him of the “security breach” that “Windows” had found on his computer, according to the Hingham Police Department.

While the resident suspected the call was a scam, he feared losing everything on his computer and followed the prompts which allowed the scammer to access his computer remotely.

The man was told the repairs would cost $149.00. Still believing that the call was part of a scam, the victim asked for a phone number to talk to a person. He received the number, but was warned to act fast to “stop the hacking or his entire computer would soon be unusable”. The scammer then showed him how they could remotely disable his computer.

The resident then entered his personal identification including credit card information as prompted. The scammer said they would call him back the following day to make sure it was fixed as they offered a lifetime guarantee.

The scammers called back the next day and explained they were having “technical difficulties” and explained the process he needed to follow online to fully fix it. He was then paid another $149.00 through a PayPal account.

Besides losing money, this resident’s personal information has been shared putting him at risk for identity theft and his computer does not work and needs to be professionally repaired, police said.

If anyone experiences a similar call, they should call the Hingham Police Department at (781) 749-1212.