Elderly couple loses $45,000 in a quick click from common sham – and now their entire life savings is gone in a flash

A RETIRED couple in Mentor, Ohio, have lost their life savings this week after falling victim to an elaborate online scam.

The 73-year-old victim said he was browsing on his iPad when a pop-up alert appeared, warning him that his financial accounts were at risk.

One fateful mistake cost the couple their retirement fund[/caption]

The popular scam tactic began with a pop-up.

“It just said I was compromised and I should get ahold of the bank right away,” he recalled.

Concerned, he then dialed the number listed on the pop-up.

Unfortunately, this was the start of a huge mistake.

He was then connected with someone claiming to be a bank executive.

The caller insisted that online scammers had hacked into his account and that immediate action was necessary to protect his money.

“What I need you to do is go to the bank, take the money out so we can secure it in a different account,” he shared.

Although initially skeptical, he was given the phone number of a supposed computer technician who confirmed the fraudulent claim.

“All he kept saying was, “You’ve got to get it out of there. You don’t want these people to get your money,” shared the victim.

Craig Costigan, the CEO of fraud experts NICE Actimize gave the following tips to readers of The U.S. Sun on how to stay safe from fraudsters.

As the saying goes, trust but verify. Always question your text and email communications. It may not be from who you think it is. Look for giveaways that it is a scam email. If your bank contacts you about a fraud via a text or email, call the number on the back of your credit or debit card to contact the fraud department directly – much safer than giving data to an impersonator.
Protect your personal identifying information such as social security cards, your blank checks and other IDs.
Always be vigilant. Even the safest and most careful among us have encountered fraudsters – we survived
because we reported the activity immediately to our providers, changed our passwords and checked our credit reports for unusual activity.
If you are not applying for credit, you might also consider placing a freeze on your credit reports, such as Experian, TransUnion and Equifax, so fraudsters can’t open accounts in your name. You can easily unfreeze your credit when you want to open a new account.

Fearing that his savings were at risk, the retiree went to two different banks.

During those visits, he withdrew a total of $45,000, which is the nest egg he and his wife had been carefully saving for retirement.

Bank employees questioned the large withdrawal amounts, but he assured staff it was for a large purchase.

Based on instructions from the scammer, the retired victim was told to share he was using the money to purchase a car.

The man was told, “Don’t say anything to anybody because someone at the bank could be compromised. They might be in on this, so just keep quiet.”

Following the scammer’s detailed instructions, he placed the cash in a box and took it to a designated parking lot along Mentor Avenue.

A second suspect posing as a federal banking official approached his car, handed him a fake account number, took the box of money, and walked away.

It wasn’t until later when the fraudster reached out asking for even more money, that he realized he had been deceived.

“If I could get ahold of him now, I think I’d beat the hell out of him,” he said.

He has since reported the crime to Mentor police, hoping surveillance footage might help track down the individual.

However, he fears his retirement money is lost for good.

Determined to warn others, he decided to share his story as a cautionary tale.

“I really hope he doesn’t scam anybody else. This is awful, just terrible to do to someone,” he said.

His advice to anyone encountering a similar pop-up warning online?

“Turn them off. Don’t look at them. Don’t have anything to do with them.”