Computer Scams Cost Westlake Resident Thousands

WESTLAKE, OH — Two Westlake residents were ensnared by computer scams during the waning weeks of October.

On Oct. 22, while a Westlake resident was using their Apple computer, an alert popped onto the screen and said the desktop was "under attack" and was now "infected." The pop-up directed the user to call "Apple Support" and provided a phone number.

Concerned, the resident called "Apple Support" and was then told Apple could detect the virus but to proceed with the investigation, the user would need to purchase gift cards. The resident would be refunded the cost of the cards after the investigation.

"Unfortunately, the victim purchased thousands of dollars in gift cards and read the numbers to the support person before realizing that it was a scam," a Westlake police spokesperson said.

A week later, on Oct. 29, a 23-year-old resident was using her laptop when a pop-up message flashed onto her screen and said the computer was locked and she needed to call IT support. The resident called and was told she had been hacked by numerous foreign entities.

IT support then told the woman she would need to buy a "security key" to fix her laptop. That meant she needed to go to Walgreens and buy $200 on gift cards.

"Luckily the victim realized it was a scam attempt. Unfortunately, the victim did divulge some personal identifiers to the scammer before hanging up," police said.