WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - The Wichita district attorney is warning people about internet scams after one man lost $35,000 and a woman lost nearly $140,000.

In the first scam, a Wichita man in his late 70’s received a pop-up warning on his computer that his bank account had been hacked. The scammer instructed the man to wire over $35,000 to another bank account to “keep his money from being stolen and to catch the hacker.”

The money was wired and the scammer requested an additional $20,000. But his Wichita bank blocked the wire transfer and it was then that the man knew he had been scammed.

In the second scam, a Wichita woman in her mid-70s received a pop-up warning that her computer had been hacked.

When she called the number on the screen, a woman who said she was with Microsoft answered and asked for authorization to log into her computer. The woman told the victim that someone had withdrawn $20,000 to purchase pornography. The victim was told she could be charged with having pornography and money laundering.

The scammer convinced the woman to make several withdrawals from her Wichita bank, resulting in just under $140,000 being lost. 

Wichita District Marc listed some things to consider when trying to avoid these scams. 

  • Never call the number in the text, email, or pop-up. Always look up the company if you are concerned. Call the number directly from the company website.
  • If someone you have never met asks for cash, gift cards, or cryptocurrency, it is a scam.
  • Legitimate companies do not use pop-up messages on computers to contact their customers. If you receive such a message, or telephone call, or cell phone text, it is a scam. Hang up the phone or just disregard the pop-up message.

If you have any questions about consumer-related transactions, you can contact the District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Division at 316-660-3600.