Police: Online Scammer Stole $30K from Elderly Saratoga Man

A Brooklyn man was arrested last week when police learned he was behind an online scam that bilked an elderly Saratoga man out of $30,000 in November.

According to the New York State Police in Saratoga, Wei H. Li, 54 of Brooklyn, NY, was arrested last Thursday on a warrant for Grand Larceny in the third degree and Scheme to Defraud in the first degree.

What Did He Do?

The State Police say that back in November, they "received a complaint from an elderly Saratoga County resident who reported being the victim of a scam."

According to the report, the unidentified victim was contacted online by a pop-up that advised them their computer was compromised, and they called the number provided in the pop-up.

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After calling the number, Li, according to the report, falsely identified himself as a Microsoft representative. The State Police say that the victim "was then instructed to transfer funds to a bank account for 'safekeeping' while the online threat was 'resolved.”

Lost 30K with One Click

They followed the instructions and transferred more than $30,000 into an account allegedly belonging to Li. The investigation revealed that, in addition to the victim in Saratoga, Li had also done the same thing to someone in Idaho.

Li was arrested at his home in Brooklyn, NY, and transported to SP Saratoga for processing.

Microsoft Addresses Online Scams

Understanding the magnitude of the situation, Microsoft acknowledged that scammers are pretending to represent them, and they posted this warning online:

"Customers, family, friends, and Microsoft employees are all receiving unsolicited phone calls and pop-up advertisements from fraudsters claiming to be from a reputable company or a Microsoft partner."

While adding, if you have been contacted through unsolicited phone calls, emails, pop-up messages, or other means by someone claiming to be from, or associated with, Microsoft and believe it was a scam, click this link to report all the information regarding your interaction with them.