It started, as these cases so often do, with a phone call and a warning that something was wrong with the victim's money. By the time it ended, a 70-year-old Camarillo man had handed over $84,000 in cash to a stranger, authorities say.
What investigators say happened
The caller claimed to be from McAfee, the computer-security company, and told the man his bank account might have been compromised — then recited real details about his account to seem legitimate, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, as reported by News Channel 3-12. Over several days, investigators say, the man was persuaded to withdraw the cash and hand it to someone he believed was a McAfee employee.
The case broke when Camarillo police said they spotted a suspect heading to meet another potential victim on June 30 and detained him, KTLA reported. A 44-year-old Rosemead man was arrested and booked on charges including theft from an elder adult; he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, and the charges are allegations that have not been tested in court. McAfee, whose name the caller invoked, was not involved.
Why the script works
The scheme is a textbook version of a tech-support scam. Fraudsters pose as a familiar company — Microsoft, Apple, a security firm — claim a security breach, then use urgency and a few real-sounding details to pressure a target into moving money quickly, the National Council on Aging notes. Older adults are frequent targets, and losses in these schemes run into the billions of dollars a year nationally, according to federal fraud reporting.
How to avoid it
The advice from consumer-protection agencies is consistent and simple: legitimate tech companies do not cold-call to say your computer is infected, and no real bank or agency will ask you to withdraw cash and hand it to a courier. If you get such a call, hang up — then, if you're worried, call the company or your bank back using a number you look up yourself, not one the caller gave you. Be wary of anyone demanding secrecy, speed, or payment in cash, gift cards or wire transfers. And families can help most by checking in with older relatives about unexpected calls and urgent money requests before the money is gone. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov or the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.
