A pop-up appears on your screen. It looks urgent. There's a phone number to call for help.
So you call — and within minutes, a hacker is inside your computer and draining your life savings.
It's a scheme that plays out every day, and retirement accounts are increasingly in the crosshairs.
"Various things popped up on my laptop," said Brenda, a retiree who asked that her last name not be published.
Brenda said she was on her computer when the unexpected pop-up appeared. It displayed a seemingly urgent security alert — along with a phone number for Microsoft.
She said the agent who answered her phone call told her there was pornography on her computer.
"I'm thinking, 'How in the world did that get on my laptop?'" she said.
Brenda said she was instructed to download a program to remove the files, "and I guess that's what gave him access to my computer."
Within minutes, she said her financial accounts were targeted.
Criminals stole about $1,250 from her credit union account and more than $6,000 from her 401(k). Altogether, Brenda lost about $16,000.
Watch as a retiree shows how easily hackers got into her bank accounts:
Remote access a "flashing neon sign"
Amy Nofziger, senior director of victim support for AARP's Fraud Watch Network, said the organization's helpline receives calls about fake pop-ups every day.
"Sometimes it has alarms and so really gets people panicked and they really don't know what else to do but call that number," Nofziger said.
She said no legitimate company will ever ask for unsolicited remote access to your computer.
"That is not just a red flag, that is a flashing neon sign," Nofziger said.
She said it's no surprise that hackers are targeting retirement accounts, which typically hold more money than checking or savings accounts.
"The number one goal of any criminal is to steal as much money as quickly as they can from their victims," Nofziger said. "Oftentimes victims have a significant amount of money in their brokerage accounts and their retirements accounts, and so that's where the criminals are going to go."
Protect yourself from tech support scams
If you receive a suspicious pop-up on your device, experts with AARP recommend the following steps:
- Shut down your device and restart it
- If someone demands remote access to your computer, end the conversation immediately
- Do not click any links or call any phone number displayed in the pop-up
- Contact your bank or financial institution directly
You can also talk to a fraud specialist by calling the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360.
Scripps News called the fake Microsoft tech support number Brenda was given. All we heard was a recording saying the number was unavailable.
Brenda's credit union said it is investigating her case.
Meantime, she is living off what money she has left, wishing she had never called the number on that bogus pop-up.
"What do I do now? I'm out almost $20,000 and can't recoup probably none of it," she said.
Be wary of any tech support message, pop-up, phone call or email, so you don't waste your money.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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