The Act
A 77-year-old retiree got an email about a $691 antivirus charge he never ordered. He called the "helpline" number in the email, and the "agent" offered to process a refund — all he had to do was fill out a form and grant remote access to his computer.
The Price
The "agent" then claimed to have accidentally deposited $300,000 into the man's account and begged him to return it — via gold bars. The retiree withdrew his savings and handed them over. Total loss: $390,000, nearly half his retirement nest egg, gone to a scam ring.
The Lesson
No real company processes refunds by asking for remote access to your computer. Urgency plus secrecy plus unusual payment methods — gold, gift cards, crypto — is the universal signature of a scam. Real refunds never require you to send anything first.
FAFO Index
10/10 — a lifetime of savings, deleted by one phone call.
Bottom Line
Hang up, look up the real number yourself, and call back.